Protector of the World
by biri24
Summary: A "rewrite" of the War of the Underworld sub-arc of Alicization. *Anime SPOILERS - SAO:Alicization Episode 24 onwards* *Light Novel SPOILERS - Volume 15 onwards* Imagine a different aftermath to the battle between Kirito and Administrator. Kirito gets to Eugeo before he fades, and manages to save him. And then, that pillar of light never descends...
1. Chapter 0 - Revelation

_**Chapter 0 - Revelation**_

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 **Note** : This chapter takes place immediately after the end of Volume 14 Chapter 13 Part 5, or at around 17:27 of Episode 24 of SAO:Alicization (basically right before Eugeo starts fading away).

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I thought back to that day, almost 2 years ago in the Real World – well, 4 years in my perspective. That day when Yui had disappeared. The thought jumped in my head. I had a console, I could do the same thing to Eugeo. There was no way I'd be letting my friend die on me.

We'd gone through thick and thin together, we'd spent two years aiming for the Central Cathedral. We had achieved that goal, but a lot earlier and in a much different way. I grit my teeth as I thought back about even our climb up this damn tower. I promised myself I'd get him out of here and show him _my_ world, my friends, my life. He didn't deserve to go like this. Not if I could do something about it.

With my one arm I picked up his body, now only half as heavy as it should be, and headed to the system terminal. Even carrying his weight put an immense strain on me after this whole fight, my vision tinging with red. My muscles screaming as I carried him over, I laid him as gently as I could back on the floor.

The notebook computer at the top of the terminal was certainly a little different compared to what I'd seen before. But it carried the same air of familiarity for me, seeming all too similar to the one I had manipulated in the basements of Aincrad. Flashing with so many colours, I paused for a moment, realizing I didn't actually know where to start. There _must_ be some way to save his data as an object, just like I had done with Yui. I started poking around on the computer, trying to find a way to open up a command prompt.

There was absolutely no way that Rath wouldn't have put restrictions on what could be done without an administrator password. The entire interface was in Sacred Tongue, English, but eventually I found a login option. As I turned around to check up on Eugeo, his form was already fading.

"No! Eugeo hang on dammit!"

I turned back to the console and typed in the one login ID that I thought had a chance of doing anything, the one ID that had saved Asuna from Sugou. Heathcliff. Password ************. After all, this world was based on The Seed, right? The last time I faced an unstoppable force, he had been there to guide and save me. I closed my eyes as I pressed confirm, perhaps not wanting to witness a scene where this ID might actually be invalid. If that was the case, then I would probably have to give up on saving Eugeo. Just the thought of that alone was sending bile rocketing up my throat.

By some sort of miracle, or maybe because of the world's roots, the console responded with a loud beep and the words SUCCESSFUL LOGIN. As it loaded all the options, I reminded myself of the list of procedures which I had used to save Yui. It was now just a race against time, just like back then. As the command prompt loaded up, I hurriedly punched in command after command.

"Please please please just let this work…"

I muttered to myself knowing I could find no other way to save him. Frantically, I typed. Time seemed to stand still; I could see nothing other than the blur of my fingers. All sound faded. To top it off, I only had one hand to type with, my fingers flying across the keyboard inputting commands. I could almost see and hear a clock ticking in the back of my head, silently urging me to enter in the code faster. I snuck a glance at Eugeo. He had already begun to pixelate out of existence.

I had no time left. Just a few more lines… I could feel my heart racing, blood pumping to every inch of my body, adrenaline flowing like the rushing rivers, heightening my senses to even greater heights than my fight just now with Administrator.

As I finished the final line, I slammed my thumb into the Enter key, praying to God or Kayaba or _whoever_ , that my code would somehow work. I fearfully turned around, but Eugeo wasn't there. All I saw was a sword. The Blue Rose Sword, unbroken, but beaten and battered, cracked all over. But it wasn't missing any parts; the pommel, the handle, the guard, the blade all the way through to its point – it was all there.

I had done it. I had never seen such a beautiful sight in my life, even though that sword looked like it had gone to hell and back. I felt tears welling up in my eyes, knowing that I managed to save Eugeo. My final work was done. As I slumped to the ground, my back hit the cold marble pedestal as I lay with my hand shaking, struggling to catch my breath.

"I did it Eugeo, I saved you. One day, I swear I'll find some way to bring you back. And when that time comes, who says we can't both have what we want? We'll find a way, alright? A way where we can bring Alice's memories back both as Alice Zuberg _and_ as Alice Synthesis Thirty. Why do we have to fight? I'll find a way, and when that day comes, we can all live just like we did so many years ago, just us three back together. How does that sound?"

I was practically yelling by the time I had gotten to the end. I was somewhat surprised at my own declaration, but I guess that's what I've always strived to do: the impossible. Staving off my character disappearing to kill Heathcliff, overturning Oberon's absolute rule to free Asuna, even saving both Yui and now Eugeo as objects.

"So I guess until then, Eugeo… stay cool. We'll meet again one day, but on that day it won't just be us, Alice will be there with us just like the old days."

I sat in silence for a few moments. I could rest now, right? I just saved Eugeo, Alice and I defeated Administrator, we saved the Human Empire from being turned into sword golems… My work was done right? My eyelids felt heavy, my body felt like a cauldron of lead. All I wanted to do right now was just –

Then I remembered why I had come to Centoria – I needed to contact my world. The system terminal was just in front of me, I had to get in contact with the outside and figure out what the hell was going on. Why had I been put into the Underworld while retaining all my memories? How had I been able to live through two years here? I shuddered thinking about how long I must have been sleeping for, or how fast the Fluctlight Acceleration rate must be right now.

I grabbed the console with my remaining hand to hoist myself up. But as I did, I remembered the fourth member of our team, and the only one who wasn't dead or an item now: Alice. Her injuries were surely terrible, so I had to make sure she wouldn't die on me before contacting Kikuoka. I half walked, half ran over to her, and looked at her form slumped over on the ground.

Her armour and dress were ripped and burnt all over, her cape nearly unrecognizable. The once shining golden armour now completely lacking its original lustre, pitted with holes and covered in scratches. If it weren't for this armour, she'd definitely be dead, considering Administrator's power. Alice herself didn't seem to be bleeding, so there was no immediate danger to her life. But her state was still saddening, covered with burns, bruises and scars as far as I could see. Her once beautiful face was covered in soot, and the cover on her eye was essentially useless with the amount of abuse it'd been through. She wasn't dying, but she was still unconscious, and urgently needed some medical attention.

I trudged back over to the terminal, almost dreading contact with the outside. What was Rath anyways? How had this company created this world? What was its purpose? What did Kikuoka, who was involved with this world's creation, aim to do with it? Did he and Rath want to create a world? But that was already possible with The Seed, so it wasn't necessary to build the STL to create a more "realistic" one. But what if this was their goal, creating a world indistinguishable from the one we were from? There really was no end to the unanswered questions circulating in the back of my mind.

Also what had happened with my initial testing in the STL? I had been in there for three days, and they'd told me that with a bit of acceleration, I had spent 10 days in the simulation. But the Underworld had a history of over 400 years, and if what Rath said was the true acceleration rate, then they would have had to run this simulation for 120 years… this was clearly impossible. There must be a way for Rath to boost the acceleration rate to higher than what they had told me, if they could create a civilization lasting 400 years.

So that meant… I could have spent much, much more than just 10 days in the Underworld the first time I was here. That memory Eugeo showed me before, that was definitely me with him and Alice. We looked… 10 years old? Was it possible that instead of a 3.3x rate of acceleration, it was over 1200x, letting me relive my whole 10 years of childhood?

But that's impossible… at least that's what it felt like for every fibre of my body. But that fragment of memory, that vision I saw right after waking up in this world, that feeling of just knowing something that I couldn't quite put my finger on – that was without a doubt real. There was no way I hallucinated all that, especially when Eugeo himself remembered a bit of it too.

So what about me right now? If it's not 3.3x acceleration, but rather 1200x, then these 2 years would equate to just about six-tenths of a day, just over 14 hours. At least I could rest easy knowing that I hadn't been missing for an insane amount of time, so hopefully my parents, Suguha, and Asuna weren't too worried about this. Regardless, I would have to ask Kikuoka about this. That bastard better give me a damn good reason as to why this all happened.

I reached for the console looking for the right command. External observer call. That's right, Rath was just observing this civilization as omnipotent gods with the power to annihilate it at any moment's notice. Maybe they wanted to create… people? A whole new race of civilized people who lived in a different world? And this world would be filled with… real people. Fluctlights, with personalities, thoughts, tendencies, emotions; just like those of humans in the Real world.

"No… it couldn't be… they want to create humans?"

I shuddered, whispering the words which I couldn't bring myself to believe. Could they possibly be looking to create AI to use in our world as slaves? Thinking about it now, Kikuoka had some military ties, didn't he? Did he want to use them as soldiers to fight our wars for us?

I couldn't help but freeze at that thought. Oh, if this were true, the circumstances would be completely different. This would be slavery all over again, forcing humans against their will to do things that we didn't want to do ourselves. It didn't matter if they didn't have bodies in the Real world, the residents of the Underworld are undoubtedly human, no matter how you slice it. If that's what Rath truly was, then that was despicable. They just wanted unlimited, free labour. At the cost of enslaving an entire civilization.

I wouldn't let them do that. The people of this world deserve to be free. Because they aren't artificial intelligences, they're real, legitimate humans with real, authentic brains. If all these people had Fluctlights, then they would undoubtedly be human. Then… did the denizens of the Dark Territory also count as humans too? They too had Fluctlights, and had real lives.

I bit my lip, tasting iron and feeling flesh, as I pondered this, gathering my resolve to touch that button. I was met with a message written in Japanese and a warning tone.

[Performing this operation will fix Fluctlight Acceleration rate at 1.0x. Are you sure?]

I didn't think twice about it, pressing down immediately.

Then suddenly I felt this _weird_ sensation. It felt like the air had just become some kind of viscous soup. Sound, light, all sensation extended into the distance, then flew behind me. It was like my actions and even my thoughts were in super-slow motion for one brief, disorienting moment – then that sensation was gone.

In the center of the screen was a black window. In the middle of that was a volume meter, just below blinking words reading SOUND ONLY.

The meter twitched, producing a rainbow-gradient bar. Then it shot upward, just as the rustling static noise reached my ears. This was the moment, I sensed, the moment when I could finally connect back to my own world. The real world without all this pain, bloodshed and sacrifice I'd just seen within the past day.

A great storm of countless emotions that I'd been keeping under control came bursting up from inside me, almost rocking me off my very feet. I leaned towards the monitor and hollered, calling upon the man who had brought me into this world.

"Kikuoka… Can you hear me Kikuoka?!"

Frankly, if I was able to see him face to face right now, I'd probably have to be restrained or else I would be strangling him to the point of near death. I felt helpless talking into the monitor, with nothing but audio feedback. My rage boiled over, to the point where I just slammed my left hand onto the console and screamed.

"KIKUOKA! ANSWER ME WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

I heard a response. But it wasn't a human voice. It was… percussion? No, these were the sounds of gunshots, the ones I had grown so very accustomed to in GGO. What was going on in Rath's lab? Why were there gunshots flying around?

"… _can't, they've got position in the A6 corridor! I'm pulling back!"_

" _Fight them off at A7, then! Give me time to lock the system!"_

Were these… sounds from a movie? Maybe the Rath staffers were just watching a movie in the lab to relax or something. But then I heard something that flipped my world upside down.

" _Lieutenant Colonel Kikuoka, it's too late! We're abandoning Maincon and shutting the pressure-resistant barrier!"_

Unless by some damn miracle that there happened to be a Kikuoka who was a movie star, then that certainly wasn't a movie playing at Rath. That was the name of the man who had brought me into Rath as a part-timer, and without a doubt had something to do with my time here.

" _Sorry, hold out for two more minutes! We can't lose this place now!"_

That was undoubtedly his voice. But I'd never heard him under such duress before. What the hell was happening on the other side of the screen? Was Rath under attack? But why?

Kikuoka spoke again. _"Is the locking process still ongoing, Higa?!"_

That was another name I had remembered, Higa Takeru. He was the Rath engineer who had performed the test on me.

" _Another eighty…no, seventy seconds to go…Ah…aaaaaah!"_

Suddenly, Higa's voice turned into a shriek. Something had startled him.

" _Kiku! It's a call from inside! I mean, inside the Underworld! This is… Ohhh! It's him! It's Kirigaya-kun!"_

" _Wh…what?!"_

Footsteps approached, over the constant percussive din of bullets and their ricochets. Someone coarsely grabbed the mic, sending a loud unpleasant sound causing me to balk a bit backwards away from the screen and cringe as the noise assailed my eardrums.

" _Kirito, are you there?! Are you in there?!"_

That was undoubtedly the voice of Kikuoka Seijirou, the one who was probably the reason for these past two years that I spent in the Underworld. Instantly, ignoring my previous confusion about the situation in the Rath lab, my anger flared up, driving my blood to its boiling point.

"Yeah! Listen, Kikuoka… you monster… What you've been doing is-"

" _I'll listen to every last name you want to call me later! Right now, you need to listen to me!"_

The absolute panic oozing out of his voice was enough to stop me right in my tracks.

" _Listen very carefully, Kirito…You must find a girl named Alice! When you do…"_

Alice? What did they want with her? I mean, she was on the 100th floor of the Central Cathedral with me.

"Find her…? She's right here!" I shouted back, and now it seemed to be Kikuoka's turn to be stunned. Then he rushed back right into his explanation, seemingly having a time limit before the call would be terminated.

" _M-my God…that's a miracle! G-good…Then once this transmission ends, I'm going to return the FLA rate to a thousand. You take Alice and head for the World's End Altar! The internal console you're using now connects directly to Main Control, but that's about to fall!"_

"To fall…? What's going on there…?"

" _I'm sorry – I don't have time to explain! Listen, to get to the altar, you have to leave the Eastern Gate and head far to the south-"_

Then the first voice I had heard at the beginning of the transmission came in again, this time with even more urgency than before.

" _Lieutenant Colonel, I closed the A7 barrier, but that only bought us minutes at…No, wait, oh no! They've started severing the main power line!_

" _Oh man, that's bad! That's really bad!"_

I heard Higa shriek in the background, panic laced throughout his voice. _"Kiku, there'll be a surge if they cut the main power now! The Lightcube Cluster's protected…but the surge will hit Kirigaya's STL in Subcon…It'll fry his Fluctlight!"_

" _No…that can't be! There are numerous safety limiters on the STL…"_

" _But they were all deactivated! He's recuperating, remember?!"_

What in the world were they talking about? What was this about my Fluctlight if the power went out? I'm… recuperating? Had I forgotten something important? A split-second silence fell, until Kikuoka broke it.

" _Higa! Can you reactivate one of the barriers so that Kirito's STL will be protected from the power surge?! I'll take Dr. Koujiro and Asuna-san to the Upper Shaft for safety!"_

" _B-but what about Alice?!"_

" _Raise the FLA rate to its max limit! We can think about the rest later! Right now we need to make sure that Kirito's safe in the Underworld, or else we'll lose any chance of recovering Alice!"_

I hardly listened to any of the rest of their heated exchange. One of the names Kikuoka had mentioned struck my mind, rocking it like a storm.

Asuna? What was she doing there at Rath's lab?

Before I could lean in to the console to ask Kikuoka, Higa's voice pierced the speakers and cut through my consciousness like a spear of lightning.

" _Kirigaya-kun listen to me! You won't be able to contact us with this barrie-"_

" _Ahh! They're cutting the power! The screw propellers are going to stop – all units brace for impact!"_

The original voice pointed out the impending doom, leaving me in confusion, neither knowing why Asuna was there, nor what Higa was trying to tell me.

" _Dammit! Kirigaya-kun! Please trust Kiku!"_

With that, the transmission was abruptly cut. Before I could register my shock, I felt that same viscous feeling I had felt previously when the transmission was just beginning. Was this the Fluctlight Acceleration Rate changing?

I shook my head, snapping back to reality when I realized I still had so many questions to ask Kikuoka. What the hell was really going on? I needed to contact him again. The transmission had ended but the console was still there. I went through the same series of options which led me to the External Observer Call. Except this time, it was grayed out, refusing to connect back to the outside.

I frantically tried pressing it again, but to no avail. What did that mean for me? Had I lost my one and only chance to figure out what was really going on? Did I lose my one connection back to my world?

"Dammit!" I slammed my hand onto the console. What more could I do? At least I had figured out some information from Kikuoka. I had to search through my brain to grasp at the remnants of that rushed conversation I had with Kikuoka and Higa. I needed to take Alice and head to… the World's End Altar? I could get there… from the Eastern Gate and heading to the south? If I did that, would I be reconnected with my world? Maybe then I could figure out what was going on. I didn't even know if I could trust them, but I had no other options.

I tried to compartmentalize this massive influx of information over these past few hours. Administrator and Kikuoka. The god who ruled this world from within, and one of the gods who ruled this world from without. Kikuoka had given me a mission to bring Alice to the World's End Altar, for whatever purpose that may be. Administrator on the other hand…

My eyes widened as I remembered her plan.

"The sword golem…"

That's right! She wanted to convert half the Human Empire into Sword Golems to fight the Dark Territory's invasion. Now that Administrator was gone, the Human Empire had even less firepower to deal with the invasion. I couldn't just leave this world to burn as I fled with Alice – this world I had grown to love would be swallowed up in chaos and descend into darkness. So before I travelled to the World's End Altar, I first had to… protect the peace within this world.

So somehow, I would have to make amends with the Integrity Knights, whilst enlisting the help of either the nobles or the students of the Swordcraft Academies within the four empires, so that we could stand against the Dark Territory's invasion. Only after that could I take Alice to the World's End Altar, return home, and probably properly strangle Kikuoka.

Even Cardinal had said this was impossible, but despite that, I'd still do my best to protect the people here. All the precious people I've met over these past two years – from Rulid, from the journey to Zakkaria, from the Swordcraft Academy – I couldn't, no, I absolutely _wouldn't_ , let them die. As I resolved myself to take on this task, I felt my knees buckling.

Stars dotted my vision as I felt myself collapsing to the ground. Was something wrong with me? Oh right, I just fought the god of this world. Not to mention all the other stuff that happened afterwards. Maybe a quick rest would be fine, right?

Before my head even hit the ground, the world had already faded to black, leaving me in a vacuum devoid of any perception.


	2. Chapter 1 - Council

_**Chapter 1 - Council**_

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5/26/380

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Light. That was the first thing she recognized when she opened her eyes. The bright rays of Solus streaking down into the damaged 100th floor of the Central Cathedral.

Alice felt disorientation, confusion; then the pain hit. Her body ached, violent trauma assaulted every inch of her body. Her head throbbed as if she had been slammed through countless stone pillars. It had been silent since a while ago, and it seemed she had passed out at some point.

She reached around, hands patting around her body to check the extent of her injuries, making sure that there was nothing which would severely damage her Life. There were no open wounds draining her Life, so it seemed she didn't have any immediate worries. She then turned her head, eyes scanning what was left of the room.

"Kirito…"

Her eyes met the black-haired youth who had convinced her to go up against the Axiom Church, now lying on the ground motionless. Her eyes widened noticing his sorry state: everything was in tatters, cuts and bruises marked his entire body. To top it all off, she spotted his right arm halfway across the room. Quickly, Alice scrambled to her feet heading over to Kirito.

She wasn't on her feet for long, a torrent of pain bearing down on her body, causing her to let out a cry of anguish amidst the tears welling up in her eyes. It felt like each of her 206 bones were being crushed in succession, as she broke out into a cold sweat and crumpled back onto the floor. Her chest heaved uncontrollably as she tried to catch her breath waiting for the pain to recede.

 _I have to heal myself first, or else there's no way I can get Kirito any help_.

Alice thought of nothing but to heal the boy's grievous injuries, but knew that she was absolutely powerless if her own two feet could not bear her weight. Reluctantly, she chanted Sacred Arts feeding on the sparse Sacred Power which was now just beginning to be replenished sluggishly by Solus. As she cast them on herself, a warm feeling enveloped her very being, mending her fractured bones, reconnecting torn muscle, replenishing her very blood supply.

As soon as she felt she could move without falling, she stopped the casting and quickly rushed over to Kirito's side. The first step still caused her to double over from the immense discomfort, but Alice grit her teeth and kept moving. Her wounds were nothing compared to what that boy had suffered through, so her own well-being could wait until after she made sure Kirito would not die.

Looking down on his form, she shuddered as she noticed the amount of damage he had taken, only serving to hasten her moves as she hurriedly opened up the Stacia Window to check on his Life. After seeing that the number didn't appear to be decreasing, she let out a breath containing all her pent-up tension. She slowed down her tempo and restarted her Sacred Arts chanting.

Wave after wave of healing washed over Kirito's battered body, slowly restoring his Life. His wounds slowly closed, colour gradually returned to his face, and the bruises began to fade from his skin. Through long, gruelling minutes of chanting, Alice managed to heal up most of his injuries.

There was still the issue of his missing right arm… though the concentration of Sacred Power in the room was now scarce after the battle, not quite high enough for her to attempt to reconnect his lost limb. It didn't seem that leaving it missing was any major detriment to his Life, so her work seemed to be done.

He was alive, at least. Cardinal had perished during the fight against Administrator. And Kirito's friend, Eugeo… Alice swallowed at the thought of the other boy. He had died too, hadn't he? Alice realized she only knew about half of what had happened after she had been knocked out trying to protect Kirito, as she tried to recall exactly what had happened yesterday.

After she was hit by Administrator's attack, she had collapsed to the marble floor, just barely aware of the flow of the battle: the struggle to the death between Administrator, the highest minister, and Kirito who wielded two swords. The highest minister's annihilation, incinerated in the flames of prime senator Chudelkin's captivated delusions. The death of Kirito's best friend, Eugeo, whose flesh was split apart alongside his cherished sword. Kirito, who had been caring for Eugeo had vehemently cried out to a mysterious crystal plate that appeared on the north edge of the hall. At the end of the exchange that Alice hardly understood, Kirito's entire body crumpled, and he fell onto the floor – with that, the world sank into silence. Soon after, she drifted off in a state of complete exhaustion, waking up only to the penetrating rays of Solus.

She gazed around at the cracked pillars, the fractured ground, the scorched ceilings and walls. This was a battle, though restrained to a singular room within the center of the Human Empire, which would undoubtedly change its entire history. As she recalled the previous day's events, she herself was shocked at the impact her actions had made on humanity.

 _But it wasn't all just my actions, now was it, Kirito?_

Alice looked at the still unconscious youth who had convinced her to rise up against everything she once trusted. Following the struggle in this room, and the revelations of Administrator's plans, she became even more convinced of the truth behind Kirito's words. The plan to turn half the Human Empire into those disgusting Sword Golems… Certainly, that would be successful in staving off the coming invasion of the Dark Territory, but at what cost? Half of all life in this beautiful land would be lost just so that the other half could live. This… this would be like asking a mother and father to choose between their two children.

But Administrator was now dead; this horrid plan would not come to life. But now, the _entire_ Human Empire was at risk of being annihilated, if this invasion by the Dark Territory could not be prevented. Somehow, without the highest minister, the strongest person in all the Underworld, the Human Empire would have to defend against the unknown. Only some of the most senior Integrity Knights would know even the slightest about the Dark Territory, and even fewer would know how to defend against their impending attackers. Alice silently mused over these facts, weighing them in her mind; though they had now defeated the one who wished to sacrifice half of humanity, they had also destroyed its greatest weapon.

Now it surely fell to the Integrity Knights, tasked with defending the peace within the Human Empire, to turn their eyes beyond the borders. She had to tell Knight Commander Bercouli about all of this, considering his vast knowledge and experience fighting with numerous Dark Knights, and his countless ventures deep into the Dark Territory.

She had to go back down to where Bercouli was… but what about Kirito? Should she leave him here to sleep, allowing him to rest and recuperate after a true fight to the death? That was surely the most logical action. Luckily, as she looked around, she found a scroll and a feather pen on the nightstand next to Administrator's now torn and broken bed. Alice ripped a piece off the scroll to write a note to Kirito, leaving it on the floor next to him when she was finished.

" **Kirito, I have healed up your wounds. The Sacred Power restored by Solus' might was not sufficient for invoking the spell which would repair your severed arm. I have already confirmed that the injury was not further reducing your Life, so I left it as is. Until you get to some place possessing more Sacred Power, you will not be in any danger. Nothing much has changed since you fell asleep, I believe, though I myself had also drifted off.**

 **I've gone down to talk to Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, since this matter of the fate of the Human Empire, as well as the origins of the Integrity Knights, are two topics which must be relayed to him immediately. I apologize for leaving you like this, but these are urgent matters which I must attend to.**

 **He should still be on the 90** **th** **floor, in the Great Bath. Hopefully the petrification art which prime senator Chudelkin had cast on him has now worn off after his death. It is likely that when this information reaches him, he will gather all the Integrity Knights for a council meeting on the 50** **th** **floor. When you do awaken, please visit us on one of those two floors.**

 **I must thank you for allowing me to join you in the fight against Administrator. Had you not opened my eyes, I would still be blindly following the highest minister in her devious and misguided plans of salvation for the Human Empire.**

 **See you soon, Alice Synthesis Thirty (Alice Zuberg)"**

Alice wasn't sure how to sign her name – as the Integrity Knight who she had become, or the girl she once was. In the end, she wrote both names down to respect the knowledge that Kirito had given to her regarding her past. She left the note next to the still unconscious Kirito, and then headed to elevating disk separating the 99th and the 100th floor.

Perhaps due to the death of its master, the plate didn't respond when Alice activated it, so she unsheathed her sword and slashed through it. Soundlessly, it broke, and the pieces tumbled onto the floor down below. Alice followed the shards down, landing on the floor with a short grimace. Evidently, her wounds were still bothering her, but she ignored her injuries and continued her trek downwards.

Going down the long staircase, she walked past the elders who continued chanting arts, and reached the grand staircase. From there she headed straight towards her master in swordsmanship, Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, whom she had left in the large bath. It was as if none of the chaos which had just occurred a few floors above had affected anything about the elders' lives. They continued aimlessly performing their duties… perhaps Administrator had also tinkered with their minds, causing them to be her mindless slaves.

Alice shuddered thinking about all the atrocities which she had been oblivious to until now. The number of lives which were ruined, the number of families torn, everything which had been stolen and pilfered all for Administrator's own selfish desires – Alice was thankful that the highest minister was now deceased. She promised herself to give her all in restoring the lives of these elders, at least allowing them to experience some of the joys of living.

As she arrived at the bath, she noticed some ice remaining, which must have been from Eugeo's Armament Control Art. Bercouli's body remained sprawled out, floating in the mostly thawed bath having been freed from Chudelkin's petrification art. Alice quickly pulled his large frame out of the water, laying him on his back, the still icy water splashing all across the floor. She tried to shake him awake but to no avail, and resorted to slapping his cheeks while calling out "Esteemed Uncle" until the man opened his eyes and let out a great sneeze.

"Oh, is it already morning?" Bercouli asked her. "Hope I didn't miss too much. Anything interesting happen yesterday?"

Bercouli still managed to keep up his joking demeanor despite knowing well that yesterday, the Central Cathedral had been invaded by two former students of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy. He had even been attacked and defeated by one of them.

Alice ignored his comment, only giving a short sigh as any indication of acknowledging Bercouli's words. Taking a deep breath, Alice began to relay her new knowledge to Bercouli.

"Esteemed Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, here is my report. The highest minister, Administrator, has been killed. Prime senator Chudelkin has also perished along with her. As such, you are now the highest-ranking person in the entirety of the Human Empire. I have also discovered two other pieces of information. First, it was discovered that the highest minister had in fact planned to turn half the population of the Empire into Sword Golems, ridiculous monsters which would help defend against the Dark Territory's invasion. The other is concerned with the origin of the Integrity Knights. During the battle against Kirito and Eugeo, Administrator herself admitted that all the Integrity Knights are in fact just humans, from whom she had stolen memories. These memories have been stored within the ceiling of her chambers, in the form of crystals. Thus, she was able to create the lie concerning our origin. This concludes my report."

"Hoh, is that so?" Bercouli frowned and paused before continuing. "Good work there, lil' miss."

"I must apologize, Esteemed Uncle, for I had in fact sided with the rebels, Kirito and Eugeo. On the 80th floor, I had met them, and somehow the clash of our weapons in their enhanced mode destroyed a hole in the side of the Cathedral. I was convinced by Kirito of the evildoings of the highest minister, and thus I had stood by their side in that battle. After bearing witness to her own confessions, I absolutely believe I had taken the right course of action. As an Integrity Knight, I trust I have fulfilled my duties of keeping the peace within the Empire. However, I have in fact rebelled against the Axiom Church of my own accord, and will be prepared for any punishment to be meted out against me."

"Hmm… that won't be necessary, lil' miss. I would've done the same thing if I were in your shoes. I've been skeptical of the highest minister for a long while myself, but I couldn't come to the truths. You've done well to uncover the truths of this world. As now the highest rank, I'll promise nothing of harm will come to you."

Bercouli pulled his large frame up, grabbed his towel, then proceeded to tousle Alice's hair with his hand.

"What of Kirito and Eugeo, then? Surely they're the real heroes for liberating us all from such a dictator. That Eugeo kid really was something, his Release Recollection art was crazy. If there was another student just like him, then it's no wonder that Administator was defeated. Honestly, I kinda want to meet these kids and have a chat with them, I'm sure we'd just get along fine. Kirito was the black-haired kid that came with you to check up on me, right?"

As he said this, Bercouli looked around at the bath, noticing the ever-present aftereffects of his battle with Eugeo. He truly was impressed by that boy's skills, considering his excellent use of his environment as well as his quick decision-making ability.

Silence fell for a while as Bercouli noticed that Alice was downcast. She stood motionless with her head turned towards the ground, but even from that angle he could notice that her face was of one bearing grave news.

"Kirito is currently asleep on the 100th floor of the Cathedral. After the fight, he had lost a large portion of his Life after losing his right arm. I have already healed him and allowed him to remain resting up there. He should be recovering soon and will likely come down to meet us at a later time. Eugeo…"

After saying the name of the flaxen-haired youth, Alice paused, took a deep breath, and swallowed audibly. At this, Bercouli understood the fate of the young, promising boy who had provided him such an entertaining battle.

"It's alright, I get it. You don't need to say it. Regardless, we must gather all the knights together to discuss the future of the Empire. For the highest minister to resort to such a tactic regarding the invasion from the Dark Territory, she must have feared it greatly. It would be wise for us to treat it as an invasion on proportions we have never seen before, one that may very well endanger all corners of the Empire. With the highest minister gone, we have an even larger hole to fill. This is a matter of the highest importance."

Bercouli then turned around and smiled at Alice.

"Come, lil' miss. We'll have to ready the war council. Maybe it would be best to hide the truth of our origin for now. I feel like that might crush our morale a little much with all that confusion about this huge lie Administrator fabricated about all of us. We'll find some other time that's better to break it to them. Also, congratulations on breaking the seal. Three-hundred years and I can't do it, I go take a bath and you get it done."

Bercouli pointed at the patch over Alice's right eye with a bright smile. With those words, Bercouli picked up his sword from the ground and walked out of the bath. Alice swiftly followed him, and they headed down towards the 50th floor together. The two knights descended the stairs, with only the sound of Alice's armour and Bercouli's slippers. Neither one had the heart to speak, with one just finding out about their leader's demise, and the other having borne witness to it firsthand. Both remained deep in thought, but their minds wandered worlds apart.

Alice still feared for Kirito's wellbeing. After all, he technically was a criminal. First arrested for the murder of third-class noble Raios Antinous, he then committed the crime of escaping his cell. In order for him and Eugeo to reach her at the Cloudtop Garden on the 80th floor, they must have attacked, wounded and defeated numerous Integrity Knights. That was another crime, adding to his already marred record. With all these felonies well documented, there was valid argument for him to be executed on the spot.

Upon reaching the 80th floor and travelling down the elevating disk, the two knights reached the 50th floor. The sight that welcomed them was not the pristine beauty of the Great Hall, but rather a large battle-worn area. Walls pitted with holes, the floor cracked and torn. It almost seemed as if a giant earthquake had hit the 50th floor only, without affecting the rest of the Central Cathedral. At the room's center, four heavily armed knights were kneeling in a circular formation, blocking sight of what they were surrounding. Immediately, Alice recognized them as the Four Whirling Blades, the direct subordinates of Deputy Knight Commander Fanatio Synthesis Two. When they heard the clinking of armour, they turned towards the source of the noise.

The sight of their commander Bercouli procured sharp breaths from all four kneeling knights. A shuffle of feet could also be heard in another corner of the Hall, belonging to two small children, who though seemingly harmless, were in fact Linel Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Fizel Synthesis Twenty-Nine. Shock passed through Alice's mind as she wondered why six Integrity Knights would all be gathered on the same floor of the Central Cathedral. But the Four Whirling Blades soon moved apart to reveal a seventh knight lying on the ground.

Alice very rarely saw this knight without a helmet, but their appearance was unmistakable. Long, dark, silky hair, paired beautifully with a wonderfully round jawline which pointed towards a pair of soft and petite lips. With the purple armour she donned, the knight was easily recognizable as Fanatio, the master of the Four Whirling Blades. She seemed to be lying unconscious on the floor, but besides the wear on her armour, her pristine condition seemed out of place in a room filled with destruction.

Next to Alice, Bercouli quickly stepped towards the knights still kneeling on the ground, with a face full of concern for them and his deputy.

"Report please. What happened here?"

Bercouli's sonorous voice echoed throughout the chamber, snapping everyone's focus onto him.

"Yes sir. Yesterday, Integrity Knights Linel Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Fizel Synthesis Twenty-Nine carried criminals Kirito and Eugeo up to this floor with those two in a paralyzed state. However, criminal Kirito had managed to free himself unbeknownst to Twenty-Eight and Twenty-Nine, and managed to paralyze them with their own weapons. Afterwards, we, the Four Whirling Blades, fought against him at the command of Fanatio, but with criminal Eugeo also becoming freed from his paralysis, the two managed to use the Release Recollection art to overwhelm all of us, and even Fanatio herself. In that clash, we were all severely injured, and the Deputy Commander was fatally wounded. But the criminal Kirito stabbed some sort of a magical tool into her, and then she disappeared. The two criminals then left and headed further up the Cathedral. We were all too injured from the battle to give chase, but a few hours later, the Deputy Commander suddenly reappeared in the middle of the hall, without any trace of her previous injuries other than her damaged armour. We have already confirmed that her Life has been completely restored, and she is simply in a state of rest. This concludes my report."

The room was silent as Bercouli and Alice tried to absorb the information they'd just been given by Dakira Synthesis Twenty-Two, one of the Four Whirling Blades. Finally, Bercouli spoke up to break the silence.

"Thank you for the report. So you're saying that Fanatio is only alive due to the actions of the criminal Kirito, who transported her away so that she could be healed."

"Yes, that is what we believe to be the case. Had she been left here in this room, there is no doubt that she would have perished without external intervention."

Bercouli wordlessly nodded as he headed in the direction of the elevating disk.

"Alice, gather the Integrity Knights who have been stationed below this floor. You need not tell them anything, but just the order for a council meeting. Dakira, you and the Whirling Blades will set up this room to fit a council of all the Integrity Knights present in Centoria. I will go and awaken all the sleeping knights. Go."

"Yes, as you command."

Two voices sounded in unison receiving their very different commands, as Bercouli's figure began to shrink with the rise of the elevating disk. Alice and Dakira glanced at each other, nodding as they made eye contact, then moving swiftly to complete the tasks given to them by their Knight Commander.

It was a lonesome walk down the stairs of the Cathedral, accompanied only by the sounds of clinking metal and her steps against the floor. After all, Alice had to check every room of every floor to make sure there wasn't any knights present. Though she knew the general positions of the Integrity Knights tasked with protecting the Central Cathedral, everything was thrown into chaos with the passing of yesterday's events.

Twentieth floor… empty. Nineteenth floor… empty. As Alice monotonously checked over 30 floors, it became nothing more than a routine of looking through the floor and finding no sign of anything or anyone. As she neared the eighteenth floor, she heard the slow, laborious clanking of armour. Instinctively she drew her sword, but slowly noticed that the sound of the armour was very familiar to her. Gradually, something bobbed up into her vision, as she arrived at the eighteenth floor. A red helmet, with horns on both sides, followed by a Y-shaped mask. Bright red armour soon followed, as well as a gigantic, crimson red longbow. At this sight, Alice finally relaxed, recognizing the man in the armour.

"Deusolbert Synthesis Seven, it is good to see that you are well. I come in announcement of a decree by Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One. All Integrity Knights are to gather in the Great Hall for a council meeting. Do you happen to know if there are any other Integrity Knights who may be on the lower floors of the Central Cathedral? I had asked Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One to stand guard outside the Cathedral itself on the chance that Kirito and Eugeo would escape their prison."

Deusolbert nodded, his thick helmet bobbing a bit, before responding.

"Yes, in fact, I had rescued Eldrie from their grasps previously. He was being tortured by those two who had manipulated his mental state using some odd memory tricks. After that they disappeared, so I sent him back up to the highest minister so she could help him recuperate. Other than him, I was the only other Integrity Knight tasked with staying down at these lower floors."

Deusolbert looked as if he wanted to say something else, but then held himself back from making another sound, all while looking at Alice skeptically.

"Now then, should we head back up to the Great Hall, unless the Knight Commander has entrusted you with some other task?"

He turned away and briskly headed up the staircase, while Alice stared at the back of his armour, her brows furrowing in confusion.

"Did he want to ask me something?" Alice muttered this under her breath, turning and walking in the same direction as Deusolbert, retaining a gap of a few steps between them.

As the two knights returned to the Great Hall, they first noticed the long elliptical table placed at the center of the room. Alice was pleased to note that Fanatio was no longer lying comatose on the ground, but was rather up and about helping ready the room for the large gathering. When she noticed the two knights returning from the lower floors, she gave them a curt nod before motioning for them to help bring out and set up the chairs.

There was one chair at the end of the table, with 9 on either side. This arrangement would allow the Knight Commander to be at the head of the table, with the other 18 Integrity Knights currently within Centoria sitting on either side, in order of their numerical designation. Even only considering these knights, it would already be the largest single gathering of Integrity Knights in the history of the Empire. Even those present who did not yet know of the highest minister's demise could sense the gravity of the situation at hand.

The present knights began to settle in their designated seats, all while remaining completely silent. Only the occasional scraping of metal armour or the squeaking of chairs could be heard in the unbearably strained atmosphere. It was as if each one was afraid to speak up, not knowing the words to say. Eventually, a soft whirring could be heard in the distance, finally breaking the silence. As all the knights turned towards the source of the sound, they noticed the elevating disk carrying only five people: the operator, Bercouli Synthesis One, Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, and two additional knights.

Instantly the ambience in the room darkened. Knowing that the Knight Commander had tasked himself with awakening the remaining knights, seeing him return with only two others behind him was a great shock to their already reduced morale. The three approaching Integrity Knights, seeing the melancholy atmosphere in the Great Hall, took their seats quickly and silently. After taking a breath to calm himself, Bercouli cleared his throat and began to speak.

"Let us begin in haste, and discuss the recent happenings within the Central Cathedral. First of all, the highest minister, Administrator, has been killed along with prime senator Chudelkin. As such, I, Bercouli Synthesis One, the Knight Commander of the Order of the Integrity Knights, am now the highest-ranking authority within the Empire."

Alice heard sharp breaths from around the room, from everyone excluding herself, who already knew the news. Flashes of uncertainty scattered among the room, but no one dared to make any noise, despite their urges to ask for more details. When the knights refocused their eyes on Bercouli, he continued.

"The highest minister and prime senator were both defeated in battle by the rebels who invaded the Central Cathedral yesterday, Kirito and Eugeo, along with the help of Alice Synthesis Thirty."

Alice instantly felt the piercing glares of anger and betrayal bearing deep within her soul from the other knights present. Sharp whispers filled the hall as the other Integrity Knights shifted in their seats, disbelief tinting the already heavy air. Before she could speak up for herself, Bercouli erased any doubts of her loyalty towards the Empire.

"At ease! Integrity Knight Alice had made this decision for the good of the Empire. It was discovered that Administrator, knowing of the impending invasion by the Dark Territory, had planned to convert half of all human life in the Empire to create monstrous Sword Golems, which would help protect the Empire. Having learned this, Alice decided that it was her duty to protect these people as an Integrity Knight and defy the highest minister. I am certain that if any of us had learned this fact, we would have followed in her footsteps as well. As such, though the two are rebels, Kirito and Eugeo have worked to save the Human Empire from the highest minister's abomination of a plan, with the help of Integrity Knight Alice."

At Bercouli's declaration, the animosity directed towards her began to fade, but Alice still worried about the knights' feelings towards her now knowing her involvement in a revolt against the Axiom Church itself. Instead, the knights sat in a disturbed stillness, now knowing the truth of Administator's plan. But still, some refused to believe the truth of the highest minister's deceptions, speaking up without hesitation.

"But wouldn't that mean the highest minister was lying to us? How could she ever do that? Administator is our Pontifex, the leader of the great Axiom Church… she couldn't possibly be a liar like that! As soon as we were called down from the heavens, we were put under her care. So now what will happen to us when our leader is dead?"

Eldrie stood and raised his voice in utter confusion, his sharp tone slicing through the scattered murmurs within the large hall. Seeing as he was the most junior out of all the knights, Alice could understand his completely disoriented state. There was not enough time for him to become aware of any issues in the Empire, planting that little seed of doubt within his heart. On the other hand, the more senior knights such as Bercouli, Fanatio, and Deusolbert surely had these qualms, and for a long time they had already lost some faith in the highest minister. Alice understood Eldrie's position well, considering her relatively junior status. However, she had been taken under Bercouli's wing, and was able to experience the world from his eyes, eyes which had long since doubted the absolute rule of the Axiom Church.

"Integrity Knight Eldrie, I understand your confusion. However, as difficult as this is to accept, the fact is that Administrator was planning to do something to the Empire which would fundamentally oppose our duties as knights. We were called here, rather, our _purpose_ is to protect the Human Empire. How can we protect an empire if half of these people must be sacrificed? Have we not simply hidden ourselves behind them, utilizing them for our own benefit? We cannot define saving an empire as using half the population as fodder so that the other half will live. What would we do? Rip families apart for the sake of saving their family? Retain the Norlangarth and Eastabarieth Empires while killing all those who live in the Wesdarath and Southacroith Empires? This plan of the highest minister would bring about the most unimaginable disaster and heartbreak to all peoples, while claiming to be _saving_ everyone. There is no clearer evidence that the highest minister was flawed in her plans, and if she were alive, all of us would be forced to stand against her for the sake of the Human Empire's protection. We must understand her sins. Now that she is gone, this tragedy can be avoided."

Bercouli's declaration seemed to slowly work its way into Eldrie's head; as he returned to his seat, his downcast and distraught state was clearly expressed all over his visage. But as he was deep in thought processing Bercouli's words, he voiced another question.

"But Administrator's plan was to use these Sword Golems to defend the Human Empire against the invasion of the Dark Territory. How will we go about this task without her?"

"That is the main purpose of this council meeting. We are to determine the Human Empire's course of action in the face of this crisis of catastrophic proportions. Considering the departure of both highest minister Adminstrator and prime senator Chudelkin, we, the Order of the Integrity Knights, are now the foremost decision makers within the Empire. As such, all of us here are now responsible for the safety and the wellbeing of the Human Empire. Are there any other questions which need to be answered before we begin discussing our future plans?"

Bercouli's intense gaze swept across the room, looking briefly into each individual knight's eyes. Even Alice, who likely knew as much as Bercouli about the situation, was subject to this gaze which was cold enough to freeze fire. She shuddered with chills running down her spine as she stared into the eyes of a man who had lived over 300 years, experiencing more than 15 times her entire life's worth of memories. Even though Bercouli was like an uncle to her, Alice still feared him for his intensity and mystery.

Bercouli's voice dragged Alice's attention back to reality.

"Now then, let us begin. We have just lost the strongest member of the Empire, Administrator. This is a massive void to fill in terms of battle prowess. This is the situation in terms of manpower. As you can see, I have only brought down three other Integrity Knights with me: Scheta Synthesis Twelve, Renri Synthesis Twenty-Seven, and Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One. The remaining six knights are currently in a state of readjustment. This sacred art is only known by Administator and Chudelkin. Seeing as both have perished, it would be suitable to assume that the other knights cannot be retrieved in time for the war against the Dark Territory. So, including the other Knights on patrol throughout the Empire, we remain a force of 25 Integrity Knights. The question now is how we will split off our ranks. This is my proposal."

Bercouli unfurled the scroll sitting to the side of the table, revealing a large map of the Empire. Spreading the sheet flat, he first pointed to right-hand side of the map as he began to relay his plans, hands moving rapidly as he gestured at different strategic locations.

"The Great Eastern Gate is the Dark Territory's likely location of invasion, as it is the only location where they can push through a large army. As such, it would be wise to concentrate our defences around that area, leaving the other entrances to the Human Empire lightly defended in the case of an attack. Let us leave two knights at each entrance in the End Mountains, and one for each quadrant of Centoria. The remaining fifteen knights will travel to set up a defensive at the Great Eastern Gate."

At this, Fanatio raised her hand. When Bercouli nodded to her, she stood and began to argue for a different defensive setup.

"Considering the highest minister's extreme precautions, it would be wisest to assume that the Dark Territory possesses an enormous army. As Integrity Knights, we are certainly much more powerful than the average soldier, but we will be at a disadvantage facing against a nearly infinite number of soldiers. And due to their likely large numbers, it seems plausible that our foes will focus their entire resource on attacking from the east, considering that most of their territory lies in that direction as well. As it may be, we would likely benefit from concentrating even more of our forces at the Eastern Gate. If we spare only one Integrity Knight at each of the other entrances at the End Mountains, while retaining a force of four in Centoria, we can field a unit of 18 Integrity Knights. The Four Empire Imperial Guards can serve as our support, helping carry supplies and acting as a means of communication."

Fanatio finished speaking, bowed her head to Bercouli, and returned to her seat. Though Alice agreed with this new defensive plan, she still felt that the absolute numerical disadvantage was one which was likely insurmountable. It was impossible to fight quantity with simply quality, especially with such a disparity between the two. She raised her hand, waited for Bercouli's signal, then stood. She looked around with some hesitation still lingering in her heart. With her lack of experience, was she speaking out of turn? Was it better to let the other knights who had certainly served for longer to have a turn first? No, Alice knew in her heart that she probably knew the situation better than most of the other knights. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then proceeded to lay out her points.

"I believe it would be unwise to only have Integrity Knights battle. After all, even now we do not know how many soldiers the armies of the Dark Territory have. It would be in our best interest to gather more soldiers forming a larger defensive core. We have already seen just how accomplished Swordcraft Academy students can be. Should we not enlist them to aid us on this battlefield? After all, I am sure they themselves wish to protect the Human Empire with their own hands. Additionally, I think we should mobilize volunteers to join the ranks of the Imperial Guards, allowing them to fight alongside us. Regardless of how skilled we may be, it would still be impossible to fight against endless hordes of the Dark Territory's forces. No matter what, we need numbers to fight numbers. If we can recruit volunteers to bolster the size of the Imperial Guards, with the addition of a secondary force of Swordcraft Academy students, we would stand a much better chance at defending our borders."

Alice bowed, sitting down after voicing her thoughts. Sure, she had presented the notion of inviting the Swordcraft Academy students to aid with the Human Empire's defences, but even she herself was not in full support of this idea. Not all the students were like Kirito and Eugeo, who had enough skill to rival even those of the Integrity Knights. Most were much more ordinary, only with enough skill to be considered better than average. Asking them to fight on the front lines would potentially be a suicide mission, but then again, the volunteers would likely fare no better. The students had experience with the sword, but the adult volunteers would have higher Life and likely greater brute strength. Regardless, it would be improper to force anyone, student of the sword or not, to partake in this operation, but it was also a wager that desperately needed to be made.

Deusolbert was the next to raise his hand, while looking in Alice's direction. She felt her throat constrict as he stood to talk. Would he agree with her sentiment? Or expose her lack of experience with his much wiser words?

"Personally, I disagree with involving the students of the Academies in this situation. Frankly, not many of them are as skilled as the rebels who invaded yesterday. Oftentimes, these are young teenagers who are skilled with the sword, but unfortunately have no real fighting experience. Instead of becoming our assistance, they may in fact become our liabilities."

Alice was somewhat glad that her original suggestion was rejected, remembering the faces of two specific students. Watching them struggle to carry the swords belonging to a certain pair of criminals made her realize that it would be best if they never had to face the grip of death on a battlefield.

"I am, however, in accordance with Integrity Knight Alice's suggestion to enlist the cooperation of volunteers to reinforce the Imperial Guards. As she said, it would not be wise for us 18 knights to be in a battle against tens of thousands of Dark Territory soldiers by ourselves. No matter our superiority of skill, this would evolve into a battle of attrition; one which would surely end with our defeat. Let us instead leave the enlistment of Academy students as a last resort."

Bercouli and the other knights present muttered sounds of approval and nodded in agreement with Deusolbert's declaration. Alice too thought this was likely the best course of action, and was rather glad with his much more practical compromise. After a few beats of silence, Bercouli looked around to see that there were no other knights in disagreement with the proposition.

"Then, this will be the plan. Leaving one Integrity Knight for the End Mountain entrance to the Norlangarth, Wesdarath and Southacroith Empires, as well as one knight per quadrant of Centoria. The remaining 18 Integrity Knights will travel to the Great Eastern Gate. Meanwhile, we will announce the volunteer missive, allowing anyone with any Calling to join the defensive force. We will set up our base camp in the vicinity of the gate, where we will help train those of the Imperial Guard. As for each of our specific responsibilities, we – "

Bercouli was cut off by the unmistakable sound of the elevating disk. The other knights also turned towards the source in curiosity. Upon that floating disk stood a young man in black. In his one arm he held what seemed to be some strange foot-length stump of some sort; at closer inspection, it was clear that it was in fact, a human arm. Two scabbards were strapped to his back in an x-shape, one holding a light blue sword, and the other holding a pitch-black sword.

As the youth slowly approached the round table, Bercouli allowed a wry smile to appear on his face.

"Well, he might change our battle plans a little bit."


	3. Chapter 2 - Sentence

_**Chapter 2 - Sentence**_

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5/26/380

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As I stepped off the elevating disk, I was met with quite a marvelous sight. There were so many knights gathered around a large table – and a few of those faces were a bit too familiar. There were all the knights that Eugeo and I had fought against before we were separated on the 80th floor, along with Alice, Bercouli, and two others I didn't recognize. Everyone's heads turned towards me at once, and I saw Alice's eyes widen. The surprise apparent on her face put a small smile on my own, as I raised my arm to wave at her. Then I realized I was carrying my own right arm in my left hand… I imagined how strange that would look from Alice's perspective and immediately lowered my arm back to its original position.

"Hey, can someone help me with my arm?"

I nonchalantly joked, wanting to lighten up the now stiff mood in the room. Alice stood up from her seat, her chair scraping against the floor, and took a few steps before turning back to Bercouli, who motioned for her to continue. She made her way over to me before stopping about a foot away. I could see a mixture of relief and disbelief etched in her face, probably happy that I was alright but at the same time irate considering my sorry state after fighting Administrator. With a bit of a strained smile, I handed my arm over to her.

"Sorry about leaving you up there in the room all alone."

"That's alright. What matters is that you're fine."

Alice took my arm, placing it at the stump near my shoulder, and began chanting. After a few short sentences of Sacred Tongue, a wave of light washed over the jarring wound, sending a shock of electricity through my body. As if I had suddenly unlocked the use of another limb, I felt sensation flowing through my now reconnected right arm. I tried wiggling my fingers, then turning my wrist, bending my elbow, and finally rotating my shoulder. Everything seemed to be working fine.

By this time Bercouli had also gotten up from his seat and had walked over to where the two of us were. Seeing him standing up for the first time, I finally noticed just how intimidating the man truly was. He was massive, with his broad shoulders now dominating much of my vision. His thick, muscular arms almost resembled the branches of the Gigas Cedar – gnarled, stiff, and powerful. I couldn't believe that Eugeo had fought and defeated a man like this. My partner truly was amazing, being able to pull that off. But just thinking about him caused my chest to tighten up, aching at the memory of the one I had just lost.

"Kirito, it is my pleasure to truly meet you for the first time. I had heard some words from Eugeo, your partner, about the lessons he had learned from you. If he was such a formidable foe, then even I fear thinking about your level of skill. I am incredibly sorry to hear what has happened to him. My deepest condolences."

Bercouli stretched out his hand, and I returned the gesture, grasping his hand and shaking it. His hand was truly a swordsman's hand. His fingers grasped at my hand gently, but I could sense the explosive power they held. The thick calluses at the base of his fingers roughly scratched my palm as our hands moved. I couldn't imagine the countless times he had drawn his sword whether in practice or in battle. This man… he was truly the greatest Integrity Knight. The one who had been alive for 300 years, wagering his life for the sole purpose of protecting the Human Empire. Everyday, he fulfilled his duty, waking up and travelling to the ends of the Empire, destroying any and all dangers. As my eyes met his, I grasped his heavy hand, experiencing the indomitable will of the man who was the Integrity Knight Commander.

"Likewise."

I couldn't believe just how speechless I had become, only managing to squeeze out a singular phrase. Bercouli directed me to take a seat at the table, the table filled with Integrity Knights. Was I even welcome at that table? I was the one who had destroyed the order of their Axiom Church. Were they even aware of what I had actually managed to accomplish? Alice naturally knew, which meant that Bercouli likely knew as well. That, compounded with the fact that I just walked into a meeting of Integrity Knights was probably a good indication that everyone had already been informed of my exploits. I quickly glanced at the other knights sitting at the table, trying to gauge their reactions to my presence. Fanatio didn't seem to be giving me a death stare like she did after I broke her helmet, and I couldn't even see Deusolbert's face. Linel and Fizel didn't even seem to care that I was there, and the Four Whirling Blades seemed to match the atmosphere of their master. Of the two knights who I didn't recognize, one had a perfectly neutral look on her face, and the other looked rather confused.

There was, however, one knight who looked at me with anger in his eyes. Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One. Well, that was to be expected, since Eugeo and I had toyed around with his memories, trying to free him from Administrator's mind control. I tried to sit as far away from him as I could, but even then one swipe of his sword would be enough to send my head rolling. Even as I was taking my seat, I could feel his gaze burning onto every inch of me, making me internally sigh with relief that we were not alone in the room, or else I would most likely have my organs plastered across the walls at this very moment.

As soon as everyone took their seats, Eldrie immediately rose to talk. I could understand his frustrations considering that we were sitting at the same table, but I was still slightly shocked as he immediately decided to take action. Somewhat perturbed, I just leaned back in my seat, with a bemused look on my face, as I waited for the predictable words he was about to throw out to the members present at the table.

"With all due respect, Knight Commander, you cannot simply allow a criminal like him to sit at a table with us Integrity Knights. He is a traitor, a rebel… a _scoundrel_! He killed the highest minister! There is nothing for us to discuss; we should simply demand that he pay for his sins with his life! There is no other suitable punishment besides that of death. He does not deserve to sit here, he does not deserve to have a voice, and he absolutely does _not_ deserve to live. He must die for what he has done; that is the only solution."

Well, I expected some slanderous words to come out of his mouth, but even I didn't expect a call for death. I suppose that Eldrie really was attached to the highest minister, and the fact that I had killed her had been the final nail in the coffin for him. I hoped that the other more level-headed Integrity Knights wouldn't have the same feelings as Eldrie, but as I looked around, I saw no resistance to his words. I began to panic. My own heartbeats gradually dominated my hearing, and I could feel my chest nearly bursting with its fervor. Would I actually be executed? If that was the case, I couldn't possibly fight against so many Integrity Knights all at once, especially after my very recent near-death experience. No, I had to hope that this possibility wouldn't become a reality. I hoped that at least one Integrity Knight would take my side, but the one who was most likely to do that only stayed silent. Alice didn't even say a single word, as she purposely avoided my gaze. Before I could feel any sense of betrayal, Bercouli finally spoke up, breaking the dead silence.

"Integrity Knight Eldrie, what you have stated is by no means wrong. But we must also consider the fact that Kirito's crimes have brought us salvation. You cannot deny that the passing of the highest minister has prevented the biggest sacrifice in the history of the Human Empire. His crimes have instead brought about a greater possibility of peace. Consider what would have happened had Kirito not committed those crimes. What will happen then, when the Dark Territory invades, and Administrator announces her plan to transform the peoples into Sword Golems? What do we, as Integrity Knights, as the protectors of peace within these lands, do? Assisting her in those plans would be contrary to our duties. Then naturally, wouldn't we band together to fight against her? No matter what, Administrator must be stopped in the name of peace, in the name of justice. However, I do not intend to discount his initial crimes. I will not dismiss his crimes of treason against the Axiom Church. But we must not overlook the good he has done for the Empire. Kirito, please make a stand for yourself. You may speak – of your motivations, reasonings, plans, anything to help us understand your actions."

I was stunned. Not only was Bercouli defending me, but he had given an invitation for me to speak. Naturally, I absolutely could not relinquish such an opportunity. I stood slowly, not sure of what to say. Should I just lay it all bare? Admit the stark reality of this world and its creation? Or perhaps tell it all from the beginning in a way that they would understand? I took a deep breath, and gradually found the right words to say.

"To all the Integrity Knights present, I will explain my crimes from the start. Yes, I will admit that I did kill third-ranked noble Raios Antinous. But there was a reason for that. At the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, I, along with Eugeo, Raios, and another student named Humbert Zizek, were all elite disciples with our own pages. Eugeo and I received word from our pages that Humbert was ordering his page to perform indecent acts. After we confronted him and his roommate Raios about it, nothing changed, so our pages went to talk to them directly. The two claimed that our pages were being disrespectful, and used their noble privileges to force themselves on the two girls. The crimes Eugeo and I committed were simply to protect the innocence of our pages."

As I continued to speak, my anger reached a boiling point. Every time I thought back to that day, inexplicable feelings of rage would completely torment my entire body. My fingers point accusingly at the knights present in the hall, wondering how they would have reacted if they had been in my shoes.

"Those two guys were just using their so-called _noble privilege_ to abuse others. What should I have done instead? What would _you_ have done instead? I, for one, was always taught to do the right thing. Would allowing two girls to experience _that_ count as doing the right thing?"

Silence covered the hall as I finished my last words, my voice echoing throughout chamber as it rose in anger. I hoped these knights could understand the reasoning behind my actions. Besides, I technically hadn't killed Raios – his Fluctlight broke down on its own, but this was a fact better left unrevealed. Other than that, there was nothing else to say about what brought me here to the Cathedral. But Bercouli also wanted me to talk about my motives for the things I did during my stay at the Cathedral. I didn't know if any of them knew about where the Integrity Knights came from, or the origin of this world. Would it be appropriate for someone like me to overturn their knowledge of themselves? Rather, would they even trust any of my words? But I couldn't explain why Eugeo and I broke out of the cell in the basement without touching on the lost memories of the knights. I ran my hand through my hair, feeling the frustration slowly building up within me. My throat constricted, as I searched the recesses of my brain for the correct words to say.

"The reason Eugeo and I broke out of the prison in the basement… well, we intended to come to the Central Cathedral long before we were arrested. It was Eugeo's idea. See, he intended to come to the Central Cathedral in search of a friend he had lost nearly 8 years ago, when an Integrity Knight had taken this girl away for the crime of trespassing into the Dark Territory. That girl had blond hair and blue eyes, her name was Alice Zuberg."

The knights began to shuffle at this new bit of information. Some of them even looked towards Alice. It seemed like they were catching on… Alice herself shied away from those glances, dropping her head to her lap, shifting away from the curious and confused looks directed at her. Honestly, I felt bad for putting her on the spot like that, but there was no way for me to explain our reasons without bringing Alice into it, since without her, Eugeo would have never had that initial goal of making it to the Central Cathedral, and with that my role in all this would have likely been non-existent.

"Ugh.." Bercouli palmed his face, and then gave me an intense glare. He likely already learned about the knights' origin from Alice and didn't want to reveal it to the others yet. I threw him an apologetic look as I continued with my story.

"As some of you may have guessed, Alice Zuberg is in fact Alice Synthesis Thirty. This was a fact that we were unaware of when we initially planned to come to the Central Cathedral. All we knew was that Alice Zuberg had been taken away to the Cathedral many years before for breaking a law of the Taboo Index. But when the knight designated with arresting us was the person we had been looking for, we realized that she had been changed. She was a completely different person, with no memories or recollections of her past. It became obvious that she had been brainwashed, with her memories stolen from her. We broke out to steal back her memories, hunting for a way to return her to the girl she once was."

I looked to Bercouli for help. I didn't want to be the one to spell out the truth of the knights' own origin, especially not in front of a group of them. Judging from his reaction I was sure he already knew what I was talking about, and even if he didn't, Alice knew the full story already. Bercouli let out a fat sigh, while shooting a glare in my direction, before he started talking.

"I didn't want to discuss this now, but I guess you've forced me to. Yes, what the boy speaks of is the truth. The highest minister also lied about where we came from. Because we weren't summoned down from the heavens, but rather we are just regular humans. As Kirito has said, our memories of our past lives have been stolen from us, so we know nothing of the people we once were. By removing our memories of our pasts, Administrator could create the nonsensical lie about us being summoned, while retaining full control of us, since she could easily manipulate our memories at any time. In fact, each of us has a human past, and I guess Alice's past was with that Eugeo boy."

I could sense the confusion and shock in the room after Bercouli's assertion. The same kind of shock from finding out your parents were dead and that you had been adopted by your aunt. At this moment, I realized that I really could relate with the knights, finding out that something so integral to your very being was in fact a complete lie.

Several minutes of silence passed, with only the sounds of heavy breathing. They were all in shock, now knowing their origin was the same as the ones they themselves protected. The only one who didn't seem to be at a complete loss was Deusolbert, though it was unclear to me what he felt since he still had his helmet on. To be fair, I had already told him this after our fight down on the 3rd floor just outside the armoury. Having that fact now confirmed by his own Knight Commander looked as if it was more of a relief rather than a cause for disturbance.

"If no one has any further questions or concerns, shall we continue with our meeting?" Bercouli finally broke the long, uncomfortable silence. It appeared that none of the knights were in any mood to further discuss that subject, so no one spoke.

"Very well. The boy has spoken. Does any knight have any opinion to offer?"

This was what I dreaded. I counted the knights who might potentially take my side. Of course, there was Alice, seeing as we had already fought side by side. Bercouli didn't look and sound like he held any negative feelings towards me, but his stone face wore upon it a perfectly neutral expression, so I had no idea what he truly felt about me. I glanced at the two other senior knights, Deusolbert and Fanatio. I had spared the former and helped heal the latter, so I certainly hoped that they both saw me as someone whose goal wasn't to pillage and destroy.

"If I may say, after my fight with Eugeo and Kirito, I was quite injured. Out of honour, I had asked them to put an end to my life instead of returning to the highest minister as a disgrace. Instead, Kirito decided to spare me. I do not believe the boy has any ill will towards any of us. In fact, I believe his goals align with ours – he simply wishes to protect that which he holds dear. I am not in favour of taking his life."

Deusolbert's voice, though muffled behind the visor of his crimson red helmet, struck a chord in my heart. I was so glad to have at least one knight standing up for my actions, affirming that I wasn't some invader from the Dark Territory like Adminstrator had claimed.

"I agree with Deusolbert. From what I know, Kirito saved my life. What kind of person saves their enemy's life? I would not believe that someone wishing to cause chaos and destruction would try preventing even a single loss of life. He is certainly no danger to the Human Empire."

First Deusolbert, and now Fanatio. Two of the other senior knights had both taken my side. The other previously hesitant knights now seemed to be in some sort of agreement. Even Eldrie, who had just minutes ago called for my death seemed to be contemplating where he himself stood. But after realizing that Administrator truly was the greatest con artist in the world, and hearing about what I'd done and why I'd done it, he began to calm down. It surely helped that Deusolbert and Fanatio had also taken my side.

"If no one else has an opinion to offer, then we shall vote. All in favour of not executing Kirito?"

Instantly, Bercouli and Alice raised their hands, quickly followed by Fanatio and Deusolbert. The Four Whirling Blades hurriedly followed the lead of their master, and soon the room was filled with raised hands from all except one. Eldrie, of course. He had his hands clasped together against his forehead, staring down into the beautiful chestnut-coloured veneer of the table. But tentatively, slowly – he straightened his right arm, until it was clear that he too, was raising his hand.

I finally exhaled, letting go of the breath I had been holding. At least now I knew that my life was in no immediate danger. I could still fulfill that mission of getting Alice to the World's End Altar. And I wouldn't have to fight my way out of here. Eldrie did stand and speak, however. I guess I wasn't _totally_ out in the clear yet…

"Though it may be inappropriate to execute him, he still is a criminal, and I believe that a criminal deserves discipline in some form. I do not believe he should be allowed to walk away without some penalty on his shoulders."

There it was… Well, regardless of what punishment I may face, it would be infinitely better than being put to death. Even being locked up forever, I would still be in the Underworld, with a chance to make a difference. But if I was dead, I couldn't even guarantee a return back to this world if I was forcefully logged out with my death. Whatever my sentence was, I would have to accept it, but hopefully it wouldn't involve me being trapped behind bars. I turned to look at Bercouli seeing as he was in charge, but all I saw was an impish grin on his face. I shuddered. What did this man have in store for me?

"I believe I have a suitable punishment for Kirito."

Bercouli, after declaring this, turned to face me. At that very moment, he held the grin of someone who had concocted some sort of genius plan. There was certainly no way for me to predict what he would say, and I felt needles of sweat piercing my scalp.

"Kirito, we plan on recruiting volunteers to increase the size of the Imperial Guard. It will be your duty to train them up, to make them into capable fighters. This will be your mission. Every day, from when Solus' rays first enters our eyes, to when it finally becomes dark, you will create soldiers. Teaching them the way of the sword, transforming them into protectors of our Empire. How does that sound? Those in favour of this sentence, raise your hand."

Huh… Did I just hear that right? This was nowhere near what a punishment should be, but rather it was Bercouli giving me a chance to prove that I only wished to protect this world. Even if I wasn't given any discipline at all, I felt like I would have ended up doing something very similar to this. As I continued staring at Bercouli in utter disbelief, I saw a twinkle in his eyes. He… he was just looking out for me. He had no doubts or suspicions towards my motivations and desires, and really didn't want me to be punished. So instead he concocted this task to be my punishment; one I would have taken up regardless. If the knights agreed to this, then this would only really be a punishment in name.

It didn't take long for all the hands in the room to be raised. Even Eldrie seemed satisfied with the conclusion reached here. At last, it seemed that both my life _and_ my future were safe. Now I could concentrate on the three remaining missions I had: protect the Human Empire, get Alice safely out of the Underworld, and log out of here myself. At last, it seemed like I could manage all three. I felt a small smile taking over the corner of my mouth.

"Then, as the Integrity Knight Leader Bercouli Synthesis One, I hereby sentence Kirito for the crimes he has committed. He will be forced to train the soldiers of the Imperial Guard from dawn till dusk, every single day. That is all."

* * *

8/28/380

* * *

"When you swing your swords, it needs to flow better. You can't just swing once and then become completely rigid. If the enemy dodges that first blow, then you're completely exposed. When you swing, you have to think about the next step, and the one after that. A fight usually won't be decided in one instant."

I walked a couple of paces up towards the training dummy. By now it was nearly unrecognizable, destroyed by the countless sword swings it had endured every single day.

"Often, it's not about the strength of the swing, but the placement of the strike. If you hit the right spots, then you can neutralize the enemy's attack, while setting up your counter. You please, come forward."

I called upon one of the new recruits to help me demonstrate my point. The guy who stepped up was a shy, skinny young man. He couldn't have been much older than me, but every single time I saw him training he looked quite impressive. If I remembered correctly, his name was Noran. He was probably the best prospect of this latest group of volunteers. I continued talking as I positioned his sword and arms in the proper locations.

"Let's say you're faced with an enemy soldier who's slashing down at you like this, from the top left down to the bottom right. This is a rather common swing since it allows the attacker to threaten their opponent's entire body while almost fully protecting their own from any frontal assault. If you try to defend by blocking the point of the sword, that turns into a contest of strength. If you are confident that you can overpower your enemy, then this is not a bad choice. However, keep in mind the enemies you will face are the residents of the Dark Territory: orcs, goblins, giants. They are far stronger than we humans are in terms of brute strength, so we'll have to fight smart. When they swing down, we instead should step forward into a swing, and aim for the bottom of the blade."

I motioned for Noran to demonstrate the swing, and I proceeded to prepare for the block. He really did have all those fundamentals down. His swing was pure and crisp, his footing perfectly aligned. He swung down with vigor, tracing out a beautiful arc in the air. But then came my block. As I stepped into my swing, I aimed my sword to travel slightly upwards, perfectly contacting the base of the blade. Not only did his blade miss my body entirely, but the wooden sword also flew out of Noran's hands. I quickly followed that with a thrust, stopping just short of his sternum. Sounds of surprise came from the other recruits, quickly followed by applause.

"So, what happens when you hit their blade at its base? It becomes nearly impossible for them to hold on tight because of all the vibrations. Even if they manage to hold on to their sword, your strike forces the enemy's blade to completely miss your body. Then, at the end of your swing, you're in perfect position to stab at their undefended midsection. Let's practice this technique now. Pair up, one person as the attacker, and the other the defender, and then switch roles. Try to get a good grasp of aiming your sword point correctly."

I quickly grabbed Noran's sword and returned it to him, thanking him for his participation in my demonstration. I then headed over to a slightly elevated outcropping, so that I could see how everyone else was managing the newly taught technique. There were clearly some standout soldiers in the making, but even the ones who were on the lower end of the skill spectrum weren't bad at all. If they volunteered to be part of the Imperial Guard, then they surely would have at least some confidence in their strength and ability to learn new techniques.

"Three months already, huh?"

A voice from behind me broke through my concentration, which I instantly recognized as Bercouli's. He had probably just returned from touring the land outside the Great Eastern Gate, searching for possible locations that the Human Empire could use to our advantage when defending against the invasion. The man had been quite busy since that first Integrity Knight meeting had ended.

After settling on my punishment, Bercouli decided that the exact assignments of the knights could be decided later, as there needed to be more precise planning behind who would be most effective at certain locations of the battlefield. The higher-ranking knights were most likely going to be stationed to defend the east, while lower ranking knights who lacked explosive power would be tasked with staying at the End Mountains or patrolling the vast Human Empire. In the months following, eventually the lineup for the Great Eastern Gate Self Defence Team, a name which I proudly presented to Bercouli only to be immediately shut down, was set to be Bercouli, Fanatio, Deusolbert, Kaito, Scheta, Petula, Rian, Tian, Warrick, the Four Whirling Blades, Renri, Linel, Fizel, Alice, and Eldrie. The decision to bring Linel and Fizel over to the main battlefield was hotly debated, but the knights soon realized they couldn't leave the patrolling of the Empire in their hands. Besides, they had a serious knack for killing, which would make them useful on the frontlines.

Another important discussion was what information to reveal to the general public. It was unnecessary to tell everyone about the origin of the Integrity Knights, or the plans of Administrator. Those two pieces of information would likely cause mass panic without resulting in any positive effects. Even the death of Administrator was to be kept secret to everyone but the Integrity Knights and myself. The only thing that the public was told was the fact of the impending Dark Territory's invasion, and the call for volunteers to help increase the size and strength of the Imperial Guard.

As for me? I couldn't stay in Centoria for long. Since the workers in the Cathedral were kept unaware of the pontifex's death, they only saw me as an enemy who had no business being within the capital's walls. So, I was carted off to the east as quickly as possible. Bercouli himself decided to oversee the defensive effort at the Great Eastern Gate, and also served as my "guarantor", keeping a watchful eye over me.

Some knights were tasked with recruiting, whether from within the cities or from their guards, and spreading the news of the impending invasion from the Dark Territory. They actually managed to be awfully efficient, keeping me _extremely_ busy every single day. It almost seemed like there was a batch of new faces arriving every week or so, which meant that every few days I would have to teach them basic swordsmanship. Other knights were in charge of checking on the state of the corridors through the End Mountains. We needed to ensure that the Dark Territory wasn't going to attack from any of those places, or else our plans would go up in smoke. They also closed up the passageways, so that any small raiding force would be stopped, protecting the citizens closest to the borders without having to be too active along the frontiers.

Alice was sent off to the edges of the Norlangarth Empire, in the section which also happened to house Rulid. I'm sure she herself insisted on being stationed there, just so that she could go and possibly see the life of the Alice Zuberg who she knew nothing of. But I could tell she was scared, visiting that girl's family as someone completely unknown to them. I promised her that one day, when this whole war was over, I would head over to Rulid with her and help her out with some introductions. I didn't say it out loud, but in my heart, I vowed that on that day, I would also be bringing Eugeo back to his home too.

As I turned around to greet the Knight Commander, I also stopped to think about my world – the Real World. For some reason, Asuna was in the Rath lab, along with Dr. Koujiro, Higa, and of course Kikuoka. From the last time I called, Rath sounded like they were under attack, thought I was unsure as to why that would be the case. Hopefully Asuna was alright, and it really wouldn't do me any good by worrying about her. Getting out of here quickly wasn't going to help either, since I was really just a powerless boy in the Real World. I could only focus on the Underworld, the only place where I could make a difference.

"Feels a lot longer than three months honestly. It definitely doesn't help when you wake up every new day only do the same old things over and _over_ again."

"Hey, to be fair, this is your punishment. It's not supposed to be enjoyable in the slightest."

Bercouli's retort to my joking complaint was a snarky comment of his own. Over the last few months, since his task was to "watch over me", he and I had spent a lot of time together, slowly getting to know each other. Even though we were 300 years apart, the overlap of similar interests we had was still striking, especially our mutual love of the sword. Almost daily we'd have a sparring match, much to the delight of the recruits. This was when I really experienced the monster that was Bercouli. His strikes were precise, and each swing was filled with lifetimes of experience. Though I may have been nimbler, his perfect positioning and almost freakish predictions were the cause of countless consecutive defeats I experienced at his hands. Even with a couple months of practice, my record would only improve to a measly 11 wins and 52 losses. It honestly took me nearly 20 battles before I finally recorded my first win against him. The idea of sparring was initially his, since he wanted to see my raw skill with the sword, without the special abilities of our blades. But over time, I think both of us had so much fun sparring that it just became almost a regular routine which both of us were more than willing to initiate.

"How was your trip? Find any nice spots that we could use?"

"Just the ones we already knew about. The land out there is pretty desolate, so it might be best just to stay stationed within the Gate."

I looked back at the recruits still hard at work practicing their technique. Sure, the Imperial Guard had exploded in size from a mere 2,000 to just over 7,000, but even with these numbers we still might be outnumbered at a daunting ratio of 5 to 1. It would definitely be in our best interest to choose a battlefield which would mask that massive disproportion in size between our army and theirs. If we were to fight on an open field, our army would quickly be surrounded and then promptly hacked down from all sides. It didn't matter how skilled our troops were, that was a case where not even the Integrity Knights could escape from, let alone protect the entire Empire.

"How long do you think we have? I wonder how many more waves of recruits I can train up into soldiers."

"Well, judging by its Life, at most it's two and a half months. At the rate that the Gate's Life is decreasing, that's all the time we've got. If the Dark Territory decides to launch a pre-emptive strike to break down the Gate before it expires, then we've got even less time."

The only thing separating the Human Empire from the invasion of the Dark Territory was the Great Eastern Gate. As with everything in this world, you could check on its condition by opening the Stacia Window. It had a Life value in the millions, but that value had been deteriorating for no reason since a long while ago without any external influences. It was simply a constant, steady drop in Life, and when that value hit zero, the Gate would crumble and disappear, leaving the Human Empire at the mercy of the Dark Territory. This was the main reason why the Integrity Knights had predicted that the brunt of the attack would be from the east. It was the largest of the four corridors through the End Mountains, and considering that it would fall without any work, a pristine opening would present itself, perfect and ripe for the taking. Of course, it was possible for the armies of the Dark Territory to come and destroy the gate before it fell by itself, but that would cause them to sacrifice a significant portion of their army destroying something that would fall without any action in the near future, a costly but pointless use of resources and effort. Of course, it would benefit them to attack earlier since the more time we had, the more well-trained soldiers we could have stationed. But I doubted that this information would be known by those on the other side of the mountains, so it only made sense for them to wait until the gate simply expired.

"How many volunteers do you think we'll get?"

"Who knows… it all depends on the words of the knights tasked with recruiting. We didn't force anyone, and we told them about the cruel and harsh reality of this war to come. So only the bravest and most confident would come to the front. Hopefully we can bolster our numbers to at least 10,000 before it all starts. Honestly, we don't even know how many troops the Dark Territory has, but they might even have over 50,000."

Fifty-thousand was a massive number. Just thinking about all the computer parts I could get for 50,000 yen would be enough to make my mouth salivate. But to think that there were so many soldiers waiting greedily to feast themselves on this fertile land within the End Mountains, filled with nothing but a lust and desire to plunder everything for themselves – that relentlessness frightened me to no end. The Dark Territory was so barren compared to the Human Empire, so any opportunity to gain anything from this bountiful land was like presenting solid blocks of gold to them.

I had asked Bercouli if peace would be possible, and he had said yes. But that was with a massive caveat. He said peace was only possible if the Dark Knights came to rule over the nine other races of the Dark Territory. As for the other ones, their near animalistic instincts running wild throughout their hordes meant they wanted nothing but death and destruction for the humans within the Human Empire who had kept all the riches of the Underworld for themselves. Only the Dark Knights were relatively level-headed, and Bercouli knew this from experience, having fought so many of them in the past. He was especially fond of their current commander, Viksul Ur Shasta, a man of great sword skill, but one who was not filled with a craving for conquest. It seemed that unless the Dark Knight Commander could come to rule the other races, which Bercouli affirmed was highly unlikely, war would be inevitable.

Many minutes passed as Bercouli and I both stared out from the outcropping down onto the field of practicing soldiers. Within the past months, a sophisticated base camp had been set up, with all the facilities anyone could ask for, including a bath, a tavern, and even an open market. Tents stretched out as far as I could see, being the housing for the majority of the volunteer troops. A small number were from the town just west of here, and they opted to travel to and from the camp for training, while keeping close contact with their family. As expected, the command post was the largest and most lavishly decorated of all the tents. It was where the Integrity Knights would meet with the leaders of the Imperial Guard, discussing things like equipment distribution and plans for battle. To the east stood, of course, the Great Eastern Gate. It looked regal and majestic, making it difficult to believe that such a structure was actually on its last legs, about to crumble and make way for a passageway fit for the marching of thousands of soldiers. At about 300 metres tall, the only ones who could see over it were the Integrity Knights riding on their dragons.

A glint of light from someone's armour distracted me from my daydreaming. Looking up at the sun, I realized it was about noontime. I scrambled down to the plain below and quickly called for lunch.

"It's about noon, so let's take our lunch break now. After lunch, we'll have some individual sparring sessions so you can practice some proper sword fighting. I'll see you all in about an hour."

I turned around as the many affirmations buffeted my ears. I walked back up to Bercouli where he was smiling coyly at me.

"Do I have something on my face? Stop looking at me like that. Let's go eat now, alright?"

"Just admiring your work, little boy. Seems like the recruits always do take a general liking for you."

"Quit it with that 'little boy' garbage. And what can I say, I'm just a really likeable guy."

As we joked around, we headed over to the commander's mess hall. Technically I was considered a commander, being the one responsible for training up the recruits from scratch. But overall, the commander's mess wasn't that different than the soldier's. Naturally it had more space, but it wasn't more lavishly furnished or anything. All the tables and chairs were of the same type and quality. Everyday we got served something different, but it was generally great food. As I sat down with my food tray, Bercouli found the seat opposite me. Nearly everyday we'd have lunch together, just enjoying each other's company.

"Hey, so when's Alice back from duty?"

"Oh, the lil' miss? I think she'll be back in a month or so. She always does a thorough job, so I think she'll probably take a lot of time with this assignment. I mean, I'm sure she'll also want to observe Rulid from afar. She might be too scared to actually interact with the villagers themselves, especially her family, but she's without a doubt so very curious about her past."

"What about you, Bercouli? You're also from Rulid. Aren't you interested at all to visit your hometown? After all, you _are_ a hero. I mean, Eugeo even learned about your legend when he was a kid. So if you go back, you might even be worshipped as some kind of god, considering that you're the reason the village exists _and_ you're the Integrity Knight Commander."

Bercouli responded to my question with a small shrug.

"Well, I mean, everyone I knew and everyone who knew me are already long dead. There's really no point of going back. I don't even remember how Rulid was back when I lived there. And I even helped found the village? Didn't even know that, honestly. Hah, for me to go and introduce myself to the village, that would be like the gods of creation coming down from the heavens to greet us. Utterly strange, and not a chance it would ever happen. Besides, I can't abandon my post right now. Maybe after the war is over, I'll go to Rulid."

"When that time comes, let's all visit together, alright? Me, you, Alice. I mean, I'm technically from Rulid too."

I pointed a beaming smile at Bercouli while saying that. Truth be told, I really did want him to go back to the place that he himself founded. In fact, I wanted to help all the Integrity Knights, especially the ones who still had living family, to regain their memories and return to where they came from. Maybe they couldn't reclaim their old life, but it would be fulfilling if they themselves were able to start afresh, allowing them to live out a normal, peaceful life without all the lies they had endured.

"C'mon, don't smile with your mouth full of food. It doesn't make you look cute at all."

"Shut up, you old geezer. Can't you tell I'm trying to build this into a bit of a nostalgic mood?"

Bercouli covered his eyes as I grumbled back at him. Eventually both of us broke down into laughter, amused by the other's antics. It wasn't long before I choked on something and then started coughing, while still laughing. The others in the mess hall looked at us wondering about the cause of our strange cacophony.

"Well, when the lil' miss comes back, why don't we have a nice dinner together. The kids from Rulid."

"You hardly count as a kid. Even if you've been frozen in time, your body is still at least 40. But to be fair, you're still just a kid at heart."

"Of course I am. You only become old when you feel old."

"Oh? You guys also have a saying like that too? Well whatever. Sure, I'll take you up on that dinner offer."

I realized that I'd been talking for way too long, and I needed to get back out there to the training field for the second half of the day. I quickly wolfed down the rest of my lunch, then returned the silverware to the front. As I was leaving, I waved to Bercouli, who was still taking his time with his lunch.

"I'm looking forward to that dinner, it better be good."

As I walked away, I heard Bercouli one last time.

"Kids these days really don't trust their elders, do they?"

* * *

10/4/380

* * *

As the morning bells rung, I begrudgingly pried my eyes open. Even as I pulled my covers off of me, I could feel the difference in temperature that autumn provided as compared to the summer, the air smelling much drier and crisper. The leaves had begun to change colour already, from the radiant greens, to the varied reds, yellows, oranges, and purples. As I got out of bed, I began the day as I always did. In my tent, there were two sword mounts. One for my Night Sky Sword, and the other for Eugeo's Blue Rose Sword. Technically, now that sword wasn't just Eugeo's but it _was_ Eugeo. Every morning I'd take care of his sword, wiping it clean and making sure it was well maintained. I didn't even care for my own sword like that, but I hardly ever used it since it was all wooden swords during sparring and training.

As I stepped out of my tent, I could feel the cool autumn breeze penetrating my clothes, prompting me to head back inside and get my overcoat. I yawned as I started heading towards breakfast. As I neared the mess hall, a large shadow passed over the camp. That sight sent a jolt through my body, as I reached my right arm behind my back, only to remember that I hadn't equipped my sword since the day I arrived here. But as I squinted my eyes and used my hand to block the sun's piercing rays, the sight that met me was the giant underbelly of a flying dragon, one that even seemed somewhat familiar. The dragon turned in the air, and I caught a glimpse of bright blond hair and shining golden armour. The radiance of the armour was enough to make me avert my eyes as it glinted in the presence of Solus. But I had seen enough to know who was on that dragon.

I smiled to myself. She was back.

* * *

 **A/N**

Hi everyone! I'm super thankful for all who are reading this story!

The main reason I didn't write anything after the first two chapters I posted is just because I really didn't know what to expect, considering that this was the first story I've ever written. I had no idea if anyone would be interested in what I was writing (haha), but it was really awesome seeing the views slowly climb up.

I guess I never talked about why I wanted to write this story, but it's really just a genuine rewrite. SAO was the 2nd anime I ever watched, and the first light novel that I started following, even getting to a point where I barely slept for a whole week during my summer vacation in high school just because I was reading it on my phone in the middle of the night. But for me (and likely for many others), Alicization was by _far_ my favourite arc. But I got really let down when I read onto Volume 15, when Kirito literally becomes vegetative and does _nothing_ for a good three volumes. I've always thought about how that story would change if he actually did things when the Dark Territory invades, but every time I'd think about it I'd just get really sad because that's not what actually happened. And recently, I was talking with one of my friends (thanks jhunniethelegend) about how it would be really interesting had this been the case, and how I hoped that someone would write a story like that. Then they were like "why don't you just write it" and I'm like "huh, why don't I just write it" and then I did.

I was initially going to title this story "What if Kirito wasn't a Vegetable" but then I realized that a) that was a really spoiler-y title and b) it sounds like a big meme, so I'm glad my logic won over my heart, because that was _so_ close to being the actual title of my fic.

I know not much has really happened so far, but I'm trying to somewhat mirror the way the actual SAO novels go, where there's a bit of a build-up before the actual war begins. And besides, I felt it was pretty important to set up everything before getting into the thick of it all. So don't worry, there will be a lot more action soon.

Also reviews are appreciated, so feel free to comment on anything!

P.S. Also sorry to all the American readers that are slightly weirded out by my spelling of some words. I'm Canadian, and I'm just way too used to spelling things with extra u's.


	4. Chapter 3 - Secrets

_**Chapter 3 - Secrets**_

* * *

10/4/380

* * *

"These soldiers aren't bad at all!"

Alice had been walking around the camp with Bercouli, but now the two of them were watching the recruits who were doing some one on one sparring. It made me happy to hear that my hard work was paying off, but at the same time having them next to me on the outcropping was distracting, not only to me, but also to the others. When two of the Integrity Knights that everyone idolized growing up were standing a few metres behind me, it wasn't surprising that no one could really concentrate. It had started off with everyone giving it their all to impress the two knights, but after a while they all wanted to steal glances, especially at Alice, so their swordsmanship decreased by more than a couple of levels.

"Honestly, if they're so interested in you two, why not just put on a show and have a sparring match?" I started grumbling seeing that my trainees were more interested in the arrival of a certain female knight rather than their own training.

"Hoh… that might be interesting. Lil' miss, you up for that? Let's have our match right here, right now."

What… that was meant as a joke, but Bercouli was actually taking up that offer? I looked at him, with my jaw dropping in disbelief. He knew from experience that whenever there was a sparring match which included himself, all training would simply cease because _everyone_ would become a spectator. Whenever we sparred, we would move to the edges of the camp so that we wouldn't become a distraction to every other soldier, but now Bercouli wanted to have that match here, in the middle of everything. I hoped Alice would be the voice of reason and talk him out of it, but as I turned towards her, I could see her eyes brimming with excitement, as she quickly nodded her head looking like a dog happily wagging its tail as it was about to be given a treat. I sighed and motioned for the rookies to stop their training. They all gathered around me as the two Integrity Knights stepped up to face each other.

"So, seeing as you're all so interested in Alice that you all can't even keep your swords up, we'll take a break from training. And instead, we'll be having a special presentation, a match between two of this world's greatest fighters: your very own Integrity Knights! Today we feature two very special guests: the Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, and his disciple Alice Synthesis Thirty! Please give them a huge round of applause as they take to the center stage bringing you all this wonderful spectacle!"

I realized there was no point of fighting the inevitable, and simply embraced the atmosphere of the match, even to the point of trying to imitate those announcers for western martial arts. Everyone present began to feel excitement just from the anticipation of what was to come, filling the air with loud cheers and applause. As Alice and Bercouli each grabbed a wooden sword to duel with, a massive circle was formed around the two of them.

"Now, let us begin! I, Kirito the swordsman, will be serving as the referee for this match, which will use the rules for a 'First Strike' duel. The victor is decided by the first person to strike a direct blow on their opponent. Contestants! Are! You! Ready!"

Bercouli and Alice both looked at me with incredulous expressions as I smiled smugly and shrugged at them. To that, they sighed, dumbfounded but slightly bemused by my antics, and then nodded their heads. I then swung down my arm indicating the beginning of the duel, as I backed off to the side of the circle, the recruits scrambling for the best viewing spots. Honestly, I was pretty excited for this matchup as well, considering that I had fought both Bercouli and Alice before, although my fight with the latter only lasted a few seconds before we had blown a hole in the side of the Cathedral. This would be the first time that I would be seeing how these two would fight against each other, though I knew that Alice had often trained against Bercouli. Hopefully, I'd learn a thing or two from watching Alice fight him, so I could improve my own measly win rate. Even now, I'd only win every four or five bouts against Bercouli, which was still quite pitiful in my opinion. To my defence, I did make him work hard each time and both of us would be dripping with sweat afterwards, but nonetheless, to only win so infrequently was still a bit of a blow to my confidence.

I snapped my thoughts back to the scene unfolding in front of me. Neither one of them had moved yet. It was almost akin to those ancient samurai battles, where the first one to draw their sword would be the one to lose. There was so much patience in both their blades. Usually when I'd fight Bercouli, I would instantly rush him, trying to overwhelm him with my speed in attacking. But that almost never worked because somehow, he just always happened to be in the right place at the right time. I constantly tried to strike that one spot which he didn't have fully covered, but that spot was always so difficult to find.

My focus snapped back onto the fight when I noticed the slightest movement out of the corner of my eye. Alice ever so slightly shifted her right foot, a movement so minute that it would have normally been overlooked. But today was a windy day, and the movement of her foot kicked up a bit of dust. Without question, Bercouli, the most experienced swordsman in the world, would have caught sight of that small detail. Taking that chance, _he_ was actually the one to make the first move.

With just one step of his right foot, Bercouli immediately cut down the distance between the him and his opponent. Holding his blade in both hands, he executed a perfect overhead slash. There was no angle to his attack, it was perfectly positioned so that the blade travelled perpendicular to the ground. I immediately understood what he was trying to do, since this was something he often did to me. He wanted to turn this into a contest of strength. Knowing that Alice couldn't directly counterattack because of Bercouli's longer arm reach, she would be forced to move defensively. She either had to block, parry, or completely dodge the attack.

I watched Alice's feet intently. Her right foot slid forward a few centimetres, before she reversed her momentum, pushing off with all her might and spinning to avoid Bercouli's massive swing. His slash missed her only by a hair, barely scraping across her armour. But now it was Alice's turn to attack. Using her spin from when she dodged the swing, she lashed out in a horizontal slash, targeting Bercouli's right flank, taking her left hand off the handle of the sword to maximize her range of motion. Not to be outdone, as Bercouli followed through on his slash, he too released his left hand from the sword's grip, swinging it outwards in a circular motion to strike Alice's blade. Alice drew her sword back, not wanting to be buffeted by Bercouli's strike.

It seemed as if the first exchange had ended without even their blades crossing, but Alice's stance told me that she had more in store. Immediately after she withdrew her strike, Alice began to circle around Bercouli in a counter-clockwise manner, trying to avoid the sword that he held in his right hand. Alice's armour probably prevented her from moving as quickly as she'd like, but even then, her movements were still instantaneous. I could see the look in her eyes as she recognized her opportunity to strike, eyes scanning her opponent to pinpoint his weakness. She thrust forward, eager to win the match quickly, but her eyes widened in shock as she noticed something heading towards her left side. While I was too busy watching Alice's motions, I somehow managed to forget about the strongest knight. He swung across horizontally to target Alice's midsection as well, taking advantage once again of his longer arms.

 _How did he swing his sword to the left so quickly? He would have had to stop his right arm from moving to the right, and then start moving it towards the left. The amount of time he needed for starting and stopping should have –_

Then it hit me. Bercouli didn't stop his initial swing towards the right. He _allowed_ the natural follow-through of his arm to transpire, using that rotation in his shoulder to jump-start his left-bound swing. Alice hastily repositioned her sword, moving it from in front of her to now protect her left flank. Finally, the resounding clash of wood striking wood could be hear clean throughout the camp, as Alice was blown away by the power of Bercouli's strike. She rolled on the ground for a bit, before she regained her footing, sliding backwards and kicking up a huge dust storm, as the spectators hastily backed up to give her some space. The first exchange was finally over.

I thought back to the way I fought Bercouli. Because I knew that I had a lot more speed than he did, I tried to overwhelm him from up close with quick strikes. But that rarely worked because each of his parries were extremely precise. He'd either completely disrupt my combo or put himself in a situation where he could easily block my next attack. Even when I unleashed my sword skills that I had learned from Aincrad, those attacks would only faze him if launched at an unexpected time. Besides, I couldn't use any of the higher hit combo skills or these swords would spontaneously combust right in my hands. I wondered how Alice would utilize that same advantage in agility to disrupt Bercouli's consistently untroubled demeanor.

I could see the intense stares that Bercouli and Alice were giving each other. They looked like rabid beasts looking to tear apart their prey, searching only for the most efficient method of doing so. This time, both knights leapt from the ground at once, hurtling towards each other. Bercouli powered through his overhead slash, while Alice stepped into a rising slash, aimed right at the base of his blade. A wry smile came up on my face. This was the move I taught to each group of recruits, because it was simply so useful. Any opponent with a large enough advantage in terms of raw power would elect to use that overhead slash, seeing as it allowed them to truly exemplify the terror of being crushed by brute strength alone. I tried to make sure that every single recruit mastered this counter, at least giving them the knowledge of the correct course of action in a situation like this.

Alice, of course, was well versed in this technique, having been trained as an Integrity Knight, and she beautifully executed the counter. Bercouli was able to retain a hold on his blade, but his swing hit only air. I heard noises of surprise and excitement coming from the mouths of all the recruits, and I couldn't help but grin. It was essentially a perfect demonstration of the effectiveness of that technique, so I hoped that everyone watching would work even harder to truly master it. But of course, Bercouli wouldn't be done in so simply. If we were to compare experience, then he had maybe 15 times what Alice did. Surely he was fully prepared for the possibility that Alice might perfectly counter his strike, so he instantly retraced his steps and moved further backwards, avoiding any of Alice's possible follow-up moves.

But Alice didn't give her teacher any time to regroup, instead pursuing him to no end. What followed was a flurry of blows, with Alice attacking from all directions, using a variety of slashes and thrusts. It seemed that for the moment, Bercouli was pushed back on his heels, but with one vicious upward swing, Alice was knocked off balance. The roles now reversed, with Bercouli slashing away, trying to wear away at Alice's defence, looking for the chink in her armour which would lead to his victory. Contrary to Alice's quick flurry of attacks, Bercouli used much more laborious, strength-oriented strikes, trying to put her in a position where it was impossible for her to defend against his next blow. I grimaced looking at this scene. This was how the man had beaten me so many times consecutively. And because his strikes were so accurate, dodging it would instead leave you in an even more vulnerable position. But if you blocked his swing, you would be sent flying, with essentially no opportunity to recover. The only way to survive his onslaught would be to perfectly parry each swing, but that required the utmost concentration and skill. As Bercouli's offensive continued, I looked on eagerly, awaiting the victor of this match.

Eventually, the sound of wood against metal was heard, a beautifully crisp ringing almost like a sonorous bell. The victor: Bercouli. After a lengthy back and forth exchange, with both sides switching roles of attacker and defender, Alice ended up making a crucial mistake, one to which I could very much relate. She allowed Bercouli's raw power to completely displace her sword, leaving her midsection completely open and undefended, which Bercouli quickly and precisely thrust at, ending the match with a tap against her chest plate. As the ringing finally died down, I stepped forward from my position at the edge of the circle giving my verdict.

"The victor of this match! Bercouli Synthesis One!"

The crowd roared in cheers for the spectacle they had just witnessed. It even made me feel bad because my matches against Bercouli never warranted this much applause, regardless of who the victor was, or how well both of us fought. I guess having two Integrity Knights fight, especially when one was a pretty girl, would cause the soldiers to become even more engrossed in the action, even if said girl did lose.

With that being said, this was definitely the most breathtaking display of swordsmanship I had ever witnessed in my life, considering any and all of my experiences with the sword in games or in real life. I was able to see a different style of sword fighting than the one I used myself, one that emphasized speed and precision rather than my own style of a full-frontal assault.

The crowd which had gathered around Bercouli and Alice slowly began to disperse from the two who after the battle, shook hands with full smiles on their faces. There was no law forbidding communication between the knights and the general public, but even then everyone saw them in a completely different light, as if they were from another world. No one even dared to approach any knight for just small talk, making me, someone who constantly did that, stick out like a sore thumb. I treaded through the dusty ground as I headed towards them, as they both turned to me in unison.

"That was some really great fighting. Hey Bercouli, next time I face you, you might see me use a couple of moves that Alice pulled on you today."

"Oh, so because you can't think of any smart ways to beat me, so you're just going to steal moves from other people now? What a little rascal you are!"

"Hey! It's not being a rascal, it's called being resourceful. Besides, this is my own way of 'learning from experience'. Well, anyways, I'll see you both at dinnertime today. I've still got half a day's work to do."

As I turned away from the two knights while waving at them with my backhand, I returned to where the recruits were. Everyone was in high spirits, after witnessing a match between the two Integrity Knights, boosting their productivity and energy for the day. Even I was infected with that upbeat mood, so the rest of my day just passed by in a flash, with everyone putting in more effort than usual trying to live up to the excitement of the day's special battle.

* * *

Bercouli's tent was situated a bit further away from the main camp, and it was near the side of the End Mountains. He seemed to enjoy living in a more secluded location, so he basically decided to pitch his tent at the base of the mountain. There just happened to be a large, flat plateau right beside his tent, making it a perfect location to set up a table and three chairs. It was, however, somewhat annoying to carry food here, and due to the sheer volume of food, we took two trips to carry everything over.

I finally plopped down in my chair, exhausted after a long day of physical activity. I gazed lovingly at the food we had at the table in front of us, my fingers itching to move as I struggled to stop myself from grabbing some of the scrumptious food before everyone had taken a seat. The incredible variety and quality of food available to us truly astounded me: a wonderfully clear and fragrant soup, the scent of which completely permeated through my nostrils. Fresh baked bread with a creamy filling made of a tangy sauce and crisp garden vegetables, topped with a thin, elegantly browned layer of baked cheese. Shrimp covered in a light breadcrumb batter, skewered and fried in oil until golden brown and served with a dark, sweet sauce. A salad, coloured just like the autumn leaves, with both garden and wild vegetables, tossed in a viscous vinaigrette with a zest capable of tickling my entire palette. A long baguette-like bread, slathered in garlic butter and topped with chopped parsley, crisp on the outside but yet still soft and chewy on the inside. A large fish, slowly roasted over an open flame until its meat was stunningly flaky, served with a creamy dipping sauce which was definitely inspired by Japanese mayo. A rotund chicken roasted on a spit in an enclosed oven, generously stuffed with an assortment of different breads, nuts, and vegetables, which let out a huge billow of steam as soon as it was cut open. A bowl of hand-pulled noodles with pan-fried vegetables and thin slices of fatty pork belly, which looked suspiciously like shoyu ramen. A baked apple pie, intricately designed on its surface and glazed so that its beautiful sheen reflected even the moonlight. A chocolate pudding, so creamy that it blanketed my throat every time I swallowed a bite. And finally, fried doughs of bread, pumped full of a sugary cream filling, and coated with a thick layer of honey.

The food looked and tasted amazing. I honestly wish I could have taken a picture of this and saved it to show Asuna. Every bite I took filled my mouth from edge to edge with explosions of umami. From the appetizers, which did exactly as their name suggested; to the main dishes, which made my mouth water even as I was eating; to the desserts, wonderfully fitting to cap off such an enjoyable meal. Bercouli told us that he had asked the chefs to prepare something special for us, since Alice had returned, but even he hadn't expected such an extravagant meal.

While we were eating, Alice told us about her journey to the northern edge of the Norlangarth Empire. About how she had travelled from village to village, notifying each village of the Dark Territory's invasion. Many of the city guards and villagers had responded well to the volunteering missive and had decided to throw down their lives for the sake of helping protect everyone. Of course, she didn't talk to the villagers of Rulid, but rather had the other knight who was with her do the talking there. Instead, she had worn a full helmet, like the one Deusolbert had, while she stood off to the side. She didn't talk much about her time at Rulid, but neither Bercouli nor I pushed her to reveal more about it. We both understood that it was still a sensitive topic for her, and so we just let her finish her informal report. She concluded her report by telling Bercouli about how she sealed the passageway at the northern section of the End Mountains, collapsing the cave and filling it with rubble so that no army could pass through there undetected.

Even as I busied myself in my food, I still set aside a shred of concentration listening to Alice's report. It was so incredibly interesting hearing about her journey; compared to my monotonous daily routine, her past few months seemed like an exciting adventure. Alice stopped talking just as we were starting our desserts, giving us some time just to enjoy our sweets in peace. As my sweet tooth was slowly satisfied, I noticed that Alice seemed a little bit lost in thought; she was clearly thinking about something. Before I could ask about it, she turned to me first and asked me a question.

"Hey, Kirito. What's the other side?"

Time instantly came to a stand-still. My grip on the spoon loosened as it clattered onto the tabletop. Did I just hear that right? Did Alice just ask me about "the other side"? As I racked my brain for possible reasons why she might know that phrase, it finally occurred to me – that she had been by my side when she heard Administrator ask that question to me. She had heard those words only because Administrator had said that phrase. It made sense that Alice would have remembered something as cryptic as that, but I guess she never found the appropriate time to ask me about it.

I slowly grasped the spoon which had fallen on the table, bringing it back on my plate. I pursed my lips, knowing that I couldn't avoid talking about this. As I lowered my head, I felt beads of sweat forming on my forehead, as I hurriedly wiped them off with my left hand. I slowly sucked in a few breaths of air, trying to calm my palpitating heart. I hadn't thought about how to reveal to the people of the Underworld that they were created by the people of my world. I didn't know how to do it, but I still had to, because there was no running from it this time. My throat suddenly felt parched, though I had been eating such a creamy filling just before which had coated my mouth. Now, it only seemed like everything I ate was drawing water out of my body, leaving me as a dry, dehydrated sack.

"I remember Administrator asking you about this in our battle. After you defeated Chudelkin, she asked if you were from the _other side_ , whatever that meant, and you had confirmed it. So what is this other side you are from?"

"Hoh, I haven't heard of this either, and I'm surprised I never asked about what exactly happened during that battle with the highest minister. But I suppose I can ask that after this. Do tell us, Kirito, what this _other side_ is."

Now both Bercouli and Alice were pushing this onto me. Well, these were two of the knights who were the most level headed, and they were the ones I trusted the most. If I could choose three people to tell the truths of this world to, it would probably be Alice, Bercouli, and of course Eugeo. Should I just lay it bare then, completely admitting exactly what this world was to the best of my abilities? As the two of them stared hard into my eyes with an expectant look, I steeled my nerves, finally deciding to courageously put forth these truths to the two knights who had saved my life on different occasions.

"Before I begin, just promise me this one thing. No matter how unbelievable my words come out to be, please trust them. Everything I say is the truth."

The two knights sitting across from me nodded, and then I clasped my hands together and moved them right under my chin, as I looked down towards the table, unable to meet either of their gazes.

"To put it simply, the other side is another world. It is the world I came from. And more importantly, it is the people of that world, my world, that created the Underworld. To put it another way, the gods of this world are not Solus, Stacia, Terraria and Vector; they are the people from my world. And because of this fact, they are completely omnipotent: if they wanted to repair the Great Eastern Gate, they could do that at a moment's notice. If they wanted to change the lands of the Dark Territory into lush, fertile forests, they could do that with a single snap. If they wanted to destroy the Central Cathedral, a tap of their fingers would be more than enough to cause it to happen. Though I myself am from the other side, I don't have the ability to do any of those things. When I arrived here in this world, it was just as a regular human being. Other than my knowledge about the other side, I am no different than either of you."

Of course, neither Bercouli nor Alice knew what to say. I now raised my head, looking at them apologetically, knowing that my explanation had probably been far too stark, too raw. I imagined how it would be if this was somehow was the truth of my world too. I shuddered, not wanting to fathom that possibility of this reality.

"So… basically what you're saying is that… the humans from the other side, from where you are from, have managed to create a world. Filled with people. What is… that world like? Is this world, the Underworld… is it…"

Bercouli's words simply trailed off there. It seemed that even the unflappable Integrity Knight Commander was at a complete loss for words. I think I understood what he was trying to say, but even I couldn't be sure at his question, given how broken his sentence became. Alice, on the other hand, was just staring at me, completely motionless and not even making a single sound, as she sat ashen-faced, trying to process what she had just been told. I seriously hoped that neither of their Fluctlights would break down like Raios' did; if that happened, then I wouldn't even know how to save them.

"Well… my world is almost the same as this world. Humans there look the same, though not many are as fit as you, Bercouli. The trees, the mountains, the lakes, the rivers – all of them are very similar. This world is not someone's crazy fantasy about another world which is radically different. This world was based on my world. If someone from my world came here and didn't know they were in another world, it would all seem very normal to them. That was how it was for me when I first came here. At the same time, if you went to some parts of my world, you wouldn't even notice any difference just by looking around."

There was no sign of any movement from the two knights, as they simply sat and listened. Honestly, there were so many things that I could tell them about the Real World, but it was hard to pick and choose which bits were the most important. I couldn't only tell them about how our worlds were similar, because there were so many things which differed between the Underworld and the Real World. I took a sip of my water before I continued, seeing that neither of them wished to interrupt.

"Of course, there are differences between this world and mine. For one, my world has _a lot_ more people. Here, Centoria is the largest city, but in my world, it would be nothing more than just a very small town. I live in the biggest city in my world, which is home to 40 million people. That's 2,000 times the population of Centoria. And that's just one city – the landscape of my world is dotted with thousands of these cities, so many of which have more people than the entire Human Empire and Dark Territory combined.

"In terms of land area, I'm not sure about how big the Underworld, but I can say without a doubt that my world is magnitudes larger. It's so much older too. Even just talking about human history, the Underworld has maybe about 400 years of history. My world has at least 5,000 years of recorded history. At one point in our past, we lived like the people of the Underworld. But that was a long time ago, and brilliant people have invented so many things, completely changing the way that we all live.

"Oh, a few major points. There's no such thing as Sacred Arts on the other side: no Element Generation, no Memory Release arts. Sacred Arts were something that was added to this world by the people who created it. There also aren't any dragons, though we've created another way of flying. Also, in this other world, there are no other creatures that resemble humans. Orcs, giants, ogres – none of these species exist. Of course, there are some creatures common to both these worlds, but there are also creatures unique to both."

Talking about the scale of things really made me realize how small this Underworld was when compared to the Real World. But at the same time, it was clear where Rath had gotten the inspiration for the Underworld. They had created a world just like our own, only adding in the concept of magic through Sacred Power. Solely looking at the Underworld as a creation, this might truly be one of the greatest creations in history. A literal simulation of another world, completely filled with fully sentient beings, both human and not. If the people of the future looked back into history, this may be included on the list of the most influential creations and discoveries of all time, joining the ranks of fire, swords, paper, gunpowder, the internal combustion engine, electricity, nuclear power, and the internet. One could not simply discount the creation of a new world, and the creation of a fully bottom-up AI.

Bercouli and Alice didn't say anything even when I finally stopped talking. At the very least, Alice had moved a little bit from her previous position, so finally she stopped being frozen in place from the shock of it all. Bercouli, though still unsure about anything, asked me a question.

"So… then the other side is peaceful, right? With no other races threatening humanity, there would be no reason to arm yourselves trying to protect the peace within your Empire."

I didn't even think that Bercouli said this out of naivety, but rather he just didn't want to believe that humans would have any reason to fight among themselves, unlike the other races in the Dark Territory. Unfortunately, he was so wrong. If humans didn't have another race to fight, then they'd simply fight amongst themselves, which made up much of the history of the Real World. I gave a wry smile and shook my head.

"There's always someone to disagree with. If it's not another race, then it's another group of humans. Because my world is so massive in terms of size and population, there exist a lot of different groups. Nowadays, we call them countries, and for the last 50 years or so, things have been mostly peaceful. But in the past, humanity has done nothing but kill each other. There were even two times when most of the world divided into two sides and fought against each other. Millions of people died from the war within years, because we humans had become so proficient in killing each other. Part of the reason for the peace now is that humanity is scared to fight. We've created weapons capable of destroying a city of millions instantly. And there exist as many of these weapons as the swords in the Imperial Guard storehouse. If one country resorts to these weapons, then the entire world would be crushing each other's cities with the push of a button and taking millions of lives each day. So now, because of that, it's peaceful, but not because there's no conflict, but because humanity has decided to solve conflicts through diplomacy instead of violence, or else there might not be a world to fight over anymore."

"Hah, I guessed so. I guess humans here and there aren't very different, huh? We're all just plagued by the same things, wanting to have more than the ones around us."

Bercouli relished in the thought of humanity simply turning upon itself, as he sat in silence while deep in thought. Alice finally found the mental fortitude to ask a question herself, though her voice was laced with uncertainty as she spoke.

"If… this world was created, then… why was it created? What reason did the people of your world have for making this place?"

What reason… even I wasn't completely sure of the exact reason. I had a few guesses, but I couldn't even be sure of their accuracy, given that I had been barred from knowing any secrets of this place. On top of that, I didn't even know why _I_ was here. The only information I could gather was based on my knowledge of the people at Rath, but that alone could only get me so far.

"Well, I honestly don't even know the full story. There is this organization, called Rath, who created this Underworld. As for why they did it, I'm not very sure. I myself was asked to help someone from Rath test out a machine, that is, a certain device, which allowed me to be transported to another world, the Underworld. And using this machine, they could change the speed of time here in the Underworld. I estimate that right now, one second in my world is equal to 1000 seconds in the Underworld. The first time I came to the Underworld, my memories and knowledge of the other side were completely blocked off, so I lived just as a normal child did, but my time here came to an end and I returned to my own world, where they erased the memories of my time in here. This is the second time I have come to this world, and I have no idea why or how I got here. I don't know why I remember everything about the other side, because the first time Rath had made sure that I couldn't remember anything other than my own name. I was also never told what they created this world for, but I do have one guess."

I stopped, staring intently at both Alice and Bercouli. I genuinely hoped that what I would say next might possibly break them out of their current state, and hopefully help them understand a bit more about my world and the people in it. It was hard enough to find out that you were a fabricated being, but Alice had the courage to ask why her gods had wanted to create her, and I hoped my answer would not disappoint.

"This world was created for you. The people of the Underworld. I think that's what Rath wants. The people of the other side would likely refer to you as true artificial intelligences, or quite simply _fake_ humans. I think the establishment of this world was simply something necessary for driving the creation of human intelligence. My world has been trying to advance these artificial intelligences for a long time now, but before, the best result we achieved was just a very sophisticated call and response system. These couldn't think for themselves, but rather they just provided an answer to some type of question, or a response to some kind of stimulus. But the people of the Underworld are completely different. And that's because every Underworldian is built with a copy of the human mind. And because of that, you act and think just like the humans of the other side."

I didn't know what to expect as a reaction from the two in front of me. To be told that you are constructed… I felt a shudder snaking up my spine imagining being in either of their positions. I only hoped that regardless of how ridiculous my story sounded to them, they would still put faith in the fact that I was telling the truth. Now, both Alice and Bercouli were wearing expressions not only of shock, but of horror. Finding out that not only was the world that they lived in a fake, but they themselves were in essence, fake. And now, they knew of their gods' motivations. Just those expressions alone were enough to make my stomach turn, and despite the fact that I had simply told them the truth, I still felt an indescribable feeling of guilt, having been the one to destroy their realities like that.

A few minutes passed, as everyone at the table sat in a stifling silence. The only sounds I heard were the chirping of birds, the howling of wind, and the sound of the leaves rustling as the wind streaked through the trees. I still couldn't bear to look at them, trying to distance my gaze from them by concentrating on what little I could see in the deep purple sky. My eyes constantly shifted around, avoiding any chance of making eye contact with either of the two, and the few times they passed by the shocked knights, I could only see the flapping of hair. Whether or not they were trembling in fear was something I did not know, and something I did not _want_ to know.

"Sorry for breaking it down for you like that. I just… never got the chance to think about how I would eventually tell the people of this world these truths, and how best to reveal it. Maybe the others on the other side could explain this better than I could. Alice, there are people on the other side that want you. Maybe it's because you were able to break the Seal of the Right Eye, meaning that you've managed to break free of the one thing that fundamentally differentiates the people of this world to the people of my world. Here, laws are absolute, and you can't even imagine thinking about breaking them without that intense pain in your eye. But on the other side, laws exist, but so do countless lawbreakers. For some people, breaking the law is as normal as waking up in the morning. So for you to have been able to break through this final bastion, I think that's why those on the other side want you."

Just within these past minutes, I had already seen so many different faces of confusion from Alice, as it seemed like everything I'd say would destroy her existing view of the world. This time, it was less surprise but rather curiosity, learning that the ones who created her were interested in her, and being completely oblivious to the reason behind it.

"How… how do you know this? Have you been talking with the people from the other side during your time in the Underworld?"

I wish that were the case. _So_ many of my questions would have been answered by now, and I wouldn't have had to figure out my way around the Underworld, trying to live a normal life all while figuring out the reason I was here. Instead, that was what I had to endure for the past two and a half years, still not any closer to finding out the truth. I shook my head as I responded to Alice.

"No, I've only been able to contact the other side during one instance. I'm not sure you remember, but it was the crystal tablet in Administrator's bedroom – that was the only thing allowing for the connection. That was my whole reason for coming to Centoria. I was sure that Rath would have left some way of contacting the outside in case they needed to intervene in some way, and it was likely that they would implement this at the center of the Human Empire. After the battle with the highest minister, I managed to reach them using that tablet, but I only found out two things. For one, they wanted me to get you safely out of the Underworld, through the World's End Altar. Secondly, for some reason they were under attack, and because of how fast time travels within here compared to out there, they could still be in danger right now. And if they are in danger, then so is everything in entire Underworld, including all its residents from the Human Empire to the Dark Territory. But because of the attack, these were the only two things I could learn. Before I could even ask anymore, the device stopped functioning, fully separating the two worlds."

I already knew what Alice's response would be – she would never leave this world for some other one, even if that was the one of her creators. She would definitely resign herself to stay and fight, protecting the Human Empire to the bitter end, because this was the only world she had ever known. But I was of the same mind. Though I cared deeply for Asuna's safety, who was at Rath's lab which was currently under attack, I could do nothing in the Real World. At least here I could help protect those who I had grown to love and cherish.

"I cannot leave my people behind. I have a duty to fulfill as an Integrity Knight. I cannot be shamelessly running from the battle, when everyone's lives are at stake. Unfortunately, I will not allow you to bring me to the World's End Altar, at least not until the Dark Territory has been defeated."

I gave Alice a gentle smile, as a sudden gust of wind rushed right past us. As we grabbed the tablecloths so that our desserts wouldn't fly away, I gave Alice the reply she was waiting for.

"Don't worry, Alice. I wasn't planning on bringing you to the World's End Altar right now. Even though I know I can return to my world if I head there myself, I won't do that. I will fight alongside you all, protecting this world until my last breath."

Alice returned that smile to me – a smile that melted my heart. After seeing all those faces of horror, it was amazing seeing her show an expression of happiness, even if there was nothing more than just that smile. But still, I was sure that within both her heart and Bercouli's, a myriad of emotions would be vying for supremacy. Confusion, distrust, disbelief… I didn't even want to imagine what thoughts were going through their minds, as they tried to wrap their heads around everything I had just said.

"This is so much to take in… but I trust you, Kirito. I'll trust everything you said today, about this world and how your people created it. But I want to ask some questions, just to make sure of a few things."

Bercouli spoke up, wanting to learn more about the new truths he had heard and processed. This was the best-case scenario, knowing that he was accepting these facts, and also wanting to clear up any possible misconceptions he may have. I nodded at him, indicating that he should continue with his questions.

"Then, I have three questions. Firstly, are the gods of creation in our legends simply people from your world? Secondly, can the people of this world be completely annihilated at a moment's notice? Thirdly, are we, as Underworldians, powerless in your world?"

These questions were more straightforward than what I had imagined. At the very least, I could provide simple and concrete answers to these.

"I'll try to keep these answers as short as possible. Yes, I'm pretty sure the gods of creation were just people from Rath who came to this world to give it a starting point. Yes, Rath has the ability to reduce this world to nothing. Yes, in my world, you wouldn't have a physical body, only a soul. It will be like looking at a crystal ball – you can see, and hear, but you can't interact with anything."

"Ahh… I see. So we are simply confined to this world."

"Well, not exactly. It would be possible to create a body for you on the other side. If you travel to the other side through the World's End Altar, then it would be possible to transfer your soul to that body, and you could even live there. Of course, with a body like that, it wouldn't have to be maintained like a normal human's by means of food, water, and rest, so I wouldn't exactly call it a human body."

"Hoh… interesting. Well, I have one last thing to ask you about, Kirito. Not about the other side, but about you."

Bercouli leaned forward on the table, closing the distance between us, resting his hands on the table. His eyes pierced fiercely into my own, as if they were boring into my very core. My whole body tensed under that stare, like he had applied some cryogenic elements to encapsulate my body. He only remained silent for at most a few seconds, but for me it seemed like an eternity before I finally saw movement again in Bercouli's mouth.

"So, you know that we are technically _fake_. Non-existent in your world, only present in a world which can be destroyed at anyone's whims. Tell me then, what you think of us, and of this world. What is the Underworld to you?"

Bercouli's question even left the wind silent. The world was soundless for a moment, but maybe that was just because of my ringing ears. I couldn't believe Bercouli had asked me a question like _that_. But despite my shock at his question, I knew this was something that I could easily answer. Without a doubt in my heart, the people of this world, and the world itself – everything here was so dear to my heart. It didn't matter to me if in the Real World, none of this _really_ existed. It didn't matter if everything could be deleted instantly. The memories I had forged with the people here, and what I had experienced – these things were undeniably real to me, and I would never forget it. I returned Bercouli's stare with one of my own, as I met his eyes, admiring the fire within his soul.

"This world isn't fake. It exists. If I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even be able to tell the difference between this world and my world. But the fact that I know this doesn't change anything. Everyone here, to me, is nothing more, nothing less, than a human being. The memories I've made here, everything that I've gone through – none of this is fake. I've made so many friends here, and I cherish each and every one of them. Eugeo… he was my best friend, he was a brother to me. I even promised to myself that I'd show him my world, and I'd do whatever it takes to fulfill that promise. To me, all of you are people; people that unquestionably exist, because you all have the soul of a human within you. Your humanity doesn't depend on whether or not you have a physical body on the other side, but it's what's inside that matters. There is _nothing_ fake about any of you."

I hoped both Bercouli and Alice would understand my declaration, because it truly was from the bottom of my heart. Some of the people here even had more heart than those I had met in the Real World, so how could the Underworldians not be counted as humans? And every single person living here had a Fluctlight – born from a baby, and raised in here. Their soul, though you could see it as nothing more than trillions of data points stored in Rath's lab – this was the human soul. Because they had this, they couldn't be seen as anything less than human, at least in my eyes.

Bercouli and I hadn't broken off our eye contact, and slowly I could see that dangerous fire receding from his eyes. At the same time, I saw the corners of his mouth curl up in a smile, and I finally found my shoulders relaxing from the tension they had held.

"Ahh… that does make me feel better. Knowing that someone from the world of the gods sees us as one of their own. But what did you mean when you said that you'd do anything to bring Eugeo over to your world? He's… he's already gone, isn't he?"

Ahh… I did let that slip out, didn't I? I guess it would be right for me to tell them about what exactly happened to Eugeo, especially since I wished for all of us to travel back to Rulid together at some point. Also, maybe this was a good time to tell Bercouli about our battle with Administrator. Clearly, he didn't exactly know the details, but as the Knight Commander, this was something he deserved to know. I gave him a small smile as I began to recount all the events of that day.

That fateful day when I had faced off against an Underworldian who knew the truths of this world. When Eugeo had been transformed into an Integrity Knight, and when Alice and I were able to undo his brainwashing. When Administrator had revealed the Sword Golems as her plan for defence, and when we, along with Cardinal, had managed to destroy it. When Eugeo had tried to finish off Administrator, and his sacrifice along with it. When Cardinal herself had given her own life so that we could have our chance to win. When Administrator was finally defeated, only to rise again from the ashes and try escaping before burning up along with Chudelkin. And when I had saved Eugeo by combining his essence with the Blue Rose Sword, something I swore not to do again.

By the end of my story, the slivers of moonlight were the only thing lighting up the two knights' faces, the dead of night already settling in. We quickly moved to tidy everything up, promising that everything that was spoken of at this table would remain a secret between the three of us. Though Bercouli and Alice acted as if nothing I had told them had changed their outlook on me, I could sense a bit of unease directed towards myself. That was to be expected, after finding out that I wasn't from their world, and that their world wasn't the "real" one. But regardless, I hoped that this feeling wouldn't last for too long, as I wanted them to see that I, too, was just a human, and there really was nothing special or spectacular about the people on the other side.

Finally, with everything cleaned up, Alice and I bid our farewells to Bercouli, as we headed back towards the main camp. As we walked, Alice even had it in herself to ask about Rulid, the town she supposedly was from. I talked about all the different people, from Azariya, to Jink, to Garitta. I talked about the memories Eugeo and I had gathered even in my short while there. I even talked a bit about Selka, and how we had saved her from the invading goblins. I was worried that touching on her family was something that would unnerve her, but by the time we went our separate ways, I could even see the faint outline of a smile plastered on her face.

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10/25/380

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The sound of wooden swords clashing against each other gradually slowed as I approached the recruits. By now, this was the 15th group of new recruits I trained. I still dealt with the more experienced ones, but they had already reached a skill level where I didn't need to babysit them anymore. They would train daily still, but it wasn't something I had to oversee. The recruits in front of me breathed sighs of relief as I called for lunch break, probably quite weary from their morning training. As I myself headed off for lunch, I found it rather odd not seeing Bercouli anywhere. Usually by now, he would have surprised me at the practice zone, or along the way to the mess hall, but I had already gotten my food, taken my seat, and begun eating my food. Maybe he had something important to discuss with the other Integrity Knights, or he had found some valuable information regarding the Dark Territory. Regardless, I'd probably ask him after I finished lunch.

With a more vigorous pace, I emptied my plate, and returned the trays before stepping out of the mess hall. As I poked my head into the command tent, I found no sign of the man, so I began heading towards the outskirts of camp, looking for Bercouli at his tent. When I got there, I was greeted by the sight of Bercouli climbing on his dragon, Hoshigami, along with another Integrity Knight who I did not recognize. I was confused, not knowing why Bercouli would be heading out now, especially with such a large supply pouch on the saddle of his dragon. Bercouli spotted me relatively quickly, and hastily called out to me.

"Hey Kirito, sorry about lunch today. I need to head back to Centoria right now because we're having another Integrity Knight meeting. I'll probably be back in a couple of days, but do your best here all alone, alright? Oh, and you'd better not slack off."

Despite his jokes, I could sense the anxiousness in his voice. Clearly, something drastic had happened requiring the presence of the Knight Commander, even to the point of pushing him into a rushed state.

"What's going on, Bercouli? What happened?"

"Rulid was attacked."

I felt my eyes open wide as shock filled my entire body. My muscles stiffened up, rooting me in place like a tree. I had never imagined this could happen… weren't the passageways filled up? Unless the Dark Territory decided to mount an offensive through the north, which was highly unlikely, what had happened? As I was about to pelt Bercouli with questions, he swiftly responded.

"Oh, don't worry too much about it though. Alice was in the area and managed to fight off the invasion. No one from the village died, and only a few people had some minor injuries. It was just a party of goblins and orcs, and the lil' miss managed to drive them all off. The village is safe, so don't worry about the people there. I've got to head off now, so see you in a few days."

Before I could even say anything else, gales from the dragons' wings buffeted my entire body. As I covered my eyes with my hands to block out the dust, I had to readjust my legs so I wouldn't be completely blown away. Still, I stumbled back a few steps before regaining my posture, and by then, Bercouli and Hoshigami were already high in the sky, rapidly heading west towards Centoria.

* * *

 **A/N**

Once again, thanks for stopping by to read my story!

This chapter was pretty difficult to write, and I found myself constantly rewriting certain parts of the big "secret" reveal just because it sounded awkward every time I tried to put it into words. I was doing my best to make the conversation between Bercouli, Alice and Kirito not sound weird, but still be emotionally charged and flow well, and I hope I did a good job with that.

Sorry for that (slightly) random food section right in the middle of the chapter. I was feeling a bit hungry while I was writing, and eventually I was just like "Oh what the hell, I've watched enough Masterchef to qualify as a professional food describer" and so I went ahead and splurged to my heart's content.

Hope that you enjoyed reading this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it. And if you haven't caught on already, I'll probably be posting chapters every 2.5 weeks or so (don't ask why I decided on such a weird interval), so I guess I'll see you all again around the 2nd week of March.

Once again, feel free to leave reviews as they're greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 4 - Assault

_**Chapter 4 - Assault**_

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10/22/380

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The wind around Alice billowed past her armour, sending a slight chill through her entire body. It had already been more than two weeks since she last saw Bercouli and Kirito – since she had learned of who she really was and the truth behind this world's creation. It still was something she couldn't easily accept, given how mind-boggling Kirito's words had been. Knowing that she wasn't natural, but rather fabricated, still sent Alice into slight moments of shock whenever she thought about that fact. When she looked around, she couldn't believe that this world could be anything other than _real_ ; nothing could indicate even the slightest hint of fantasy.

But yet, she still forced herself to believe his words. After all, he had been the one to convince her that the highest minister was the greatest deceiver, the one who had cared only about herself. And his statements had been backed up with evidence too, as they experienced the ferocity of the minions that had been placed on the outside of the Cathedral. However confident he was in his declarations back then when they were scaling the side of the building, he was even more so at the table with the two knights. How could she not believe his words? From when Administrator had said the words "the other side", up until when Kirito had finally divulged its true meaning, she had known that it was something truly extraordinary. How naive she truly was, thinking that there could be nothing else to surpass her wildest imaginations.

Slight movements up ahead brought Alice back from the deep trenches of her thoughts. She commanded Amayori to bank and land under the cover of the rocky terrain, not wanting to be seen as she ventured further into the Dark Territory. There was a chance that those ahead had spotted her and her dragon, but Alice made it seem like she had turned around and gone back home, hoping any who saw her would believe her feint. If she advanced on foot to where they were, she would likely never be spotted.

With three great flaps of her wings, Amayori finally landed onto the rugged, rocky surface of the Dark Territory, causing a large flurry of dust that clouded Alice's vision for a few seconds. As the particles settled, she nimbly leapt off the dragon's back, patting herself clean from the dust. This wasn't her first foray into the Dark Territory, but it was already one of her longest stays here. Every time she came back, it still astounded her just how different the land on this side of the End Mountains was, compared to the lush and fertile paradise of the Human Empire. Everything was tinged a disgusting deep shade of red, indicative of the death that crowded this place. Even the air held a much different weight to it, a layer of bitter metallic taste settling on her tongue, almost as if the souls of those who had perished in these lands came back with a vengeance to ruin the atmosphere of this barren wasteland even further.

Alice crept forward, using the rocks around her as cover. She had realized that her golden armour would stand out immensely in this dark red landscape, and so she had left it behind with Amayori. As she inched forward, the wind knocked her long hair around, blocking her vision and she realized that it too would easily give her position away. Hurriedly, she transformed a rock from the ground into a hairband, tying her long blonde hair into a bun. She carefully peeked her head to the side of the rock she was currently behind, ensuring that no one had yet to notice her.

Now that she was closer, she could give a better assessment of the army she had seen earlier. In terms of size, this was still a group which she could undoubtedly finish off if she unleashed all her skill. But she knew that this was likely only a small portion of their army, maybe even less than one percent of it. A quick head count revealed about 500 goblins marching due east, but it was quite possible that the whole army was travelling while split up into different portions to reduce the chances of fighting over food and supplies.

 _I'm only here to observe them, not to engage. Esteemed Uncle would definitely not be happy if I got myself involved in some fighting._

Alice reminded herself that her role here was simply reconnaissance, and nothing else. Besides, attacking would probably result in an attempt at a retaliatory attack mounted through the northern passage. The rocks she had placed there could be removed with enough brute force, and the defence of that region would force Integrity Knights to be pulled to these northern borders. Despite the fact that she wanted nothing more than to eliminate those who threatened the peace within the borders of her beloved Human Empire, she knew it would be best if she walked away today without unsheathing her sword. Observation was key; without any external information, the knights could not sufficiently prepare for the assault.

Weapons and armour – those were the two factors Alice was hoping to focus on. It would be incredibly difficult to see the actual skill level of the Dark Territory soldiers, unless she shadowed them for a sufficiently long time, long enough that she could see them spar amongst themselves. Besides, she already had a good idea of how proficient the average goblin of the Dark Territory was; they certainly couldn't be considered unskilled, but the last time she had fought with them, it had been a breeze taking out even tens of goblins with simple swings of her sword. Seeing what equipment they held was much more important.

Some of the goblins in front of her carried spears in hand with a sword and shield latched onto their backs, while others carried bows in quivers made of thick, stitched leather. Judging from that, all their arrows were likely laden with poison, a crude yet sufficiently effective strategy on their part. All the soldiers were lightly armed, regardless if they belonged on the front lines or behind it, so at least the Human Empire wouldn't have to worry about repelling troops with high-end equipment. What did catch Alice's attention was how organized the armies were – they even marched in a strict formation with good rhythm. If this was a trait carried by all the races of the Dark Territory, then it would certainly be troublesome. If these troops fought as units, then the chances of a successful defence of the Great Eastern Gate would plummet dramatically.

This was already the fifth time she had gone into these lands, observing the peoples from afar. She didn't always see armies, but every single one that she had seen was similar in terms of equipment, organization, and size. This was undoubtedly a worrisome find, one which had to be passed on to the Integrity Knight Commander promptly. Alice had done enough research and reconnaissance to be sure of this knowledge. It would be useless for her to stay here any longer and expose herself to even more risk, so as the army slowly left her sight, she swiftly turned around, heading back to where Amayori was in hiding.

As she spun, a slight scraping sound could be heard from the ground, so Alice hurriedly stopped in her tracks, fearing that the noise would attract unwanted attention. But even as she did so, the sound did not stop, instead growing in volume. Alarmed, Alice quickly scanned her surroundings, only to find that she had been ambushed by goblins on both sides. Some licked their lips as if expecting a feast, while other brandished the nets they had previously been hiding.

Obviously, they wanted to capture her, to do who knows what to her. Instantly, Alice's stomach began to churn. She felt disgust washing over every part of her body, filling her head with anger and fury. _She_ was an Integrity Knight, one of the finest soldiers of the Human Empire, and these goblins dared to even consider capturing her? Because she wasn't wearing armour, it would be dangerous for her to take on the entire group, especially if they worked together. It might be possible for her to kill them all, but she would likely be left with severe injuries, which would be difficult to heal in this land devoid of Sacred Power. Regardless of any misgivings, she began to reach for her sword, strapped to the left side of her waist.

"What a pretty White Ium girl, just sitting here for us to take. Praise Vector for his provisions!"

One of the goblins shouted this out, with his loud and shrill voice loud enough for Alice to hear clearly. The other goblins sneered, eyes filled with lust and hunger. They scattered around, forming a large encirclement, ensuring that Alice would have no way to escape without having to force herself through a few goblins. None of them wore any armour, only carrying a simple sword or spear. In their assurance of victory, and the confidence of their prey simply submitting, few even bothered to unsheathe their swords, with some even rushing forward with howls of glee, literally jumping on the opportunity.

Unfortunately for these goblins, Alice was fully prepared to fight, and did not have any doubt in her head that she would get herself out of this situation, regardless of how much blood she would have to spill. Instantly, the four goblins who had rushed her were on the ground in motionless heaps, their life stolen by savage blade. The other goblins, seeing their companions so quickly felled, instantly raised their guards and drew their weapons. No longer did they act alone, but in unison slowly shrunk the size of the circle. But as they did, Alice was already scanning around looking for the weak link in their formation, her eyes locking onto a goblin who looked slightly emaciated.

"I have no intentions of being captured. In fact, the only thing that will be taken today is your lives."

Alice steeled her nerves, hoping that her intimidation would discourage some of the goblins from fighting after witnessing her earlier display of strength. But to her disappointment, there was no reaction to her threat. In fact, there was an even more intense gaze in the eyes of all the goblins, as they now saw her as a rare and valuable good. Her only solace was that because of what the goblins wanted of her, they would hesitate to use lethal force on her. However, any injury short of death could be healed without any lasting impressions, so their plan would likely be to knock her out quickly, then place her in a net and set off into the heart of the Dark Territory.

As she prepared herself to spring into action, the goblins acted first. Rushing forward, the ones with spears stood back while those with swords leapt towards her. In the instant before they were upon her, Alice reconfirmed her course of action. Sneaking one last glance at the seemingly weaker goblin, she rolled under the first wave of sword-wielding goblins, heading in her prescribed direction. As she reached the edge of the encirclement, that goblin thrust at her with his spear, while the two others around him raced to raise their spears, blocking her other possible routes of escape. It seemed that her only way out would be to force her way through those three goblins.

Sidestepping the first spear, she rushed for the gap in between two goblins, wanting to squeeze herself through. But this weaker looking goblin was only frail in physical strength; it had already sensed Alice's next move. In what once appeared to be a gap, the head of a spear manifested, causing Alice to balk in her path. She surged upwards, a last-ditch effort to clear the heads of the goblins and escape back home. But with vigor, the third goblin swung his spear, striking at Alice's side, forcing her to block with her sword and fall back down on the ground within the ranks of the encirclement.

 _This isn't good… even these goblins already have so much skill. If these are the ones without any armour, then they're probably the lower ranking goblins with less combat experience. If these can already cooperate at such a high level, then what about the Dark Territory's_ elite _troops? I'm sure not even Esteemed Uncle expected these forces to have reached such a high skill level._

It would be unwise for Alice to reveal the Perfect Control form of her sword, but at this point, for her own safety, it was potentially the only option left for her. But she resolved to make one last attempt at escape before resorting to awakening her weapon. Still on the ground, she raced to reorient herself, then dashed towards the largest goblin this time, hoping not to go over, but to duck under for her escape. As she neared, this goblin, holding a sword, swung downwards, striking the dirt just in front of Alice. She shifted her body ever so slightly to the right, then immediately leapt back to the left aiming for the gap in between its legs.

The goblin yelped in surprise as Alice slid underneath it, before she dashed in the general direction of the Human Empire. Quickly, she hid behind some rocks, as the goblins' loud clamoring quickly filled her ears. She had successfully gotten herself out of the encirclement, but now she needed to lose her pursuers, and then find Amayori to get out of this godforsaken land. Staying in one place would eventually reveal her location, but moving too much could expose her.

Long, arduous minutes passed, with the goblins' voices nearly at her tail. Miraculously, they never once caught her, but Alice's body had grown tense from all the crouching and sliding she had to do to remain hidden. Finally, she could hear the voices trail off, moving further away. In that instant, she decided to take a risk – peeking above the rock she was currently hiding behind to confirm that she had shaken off those who had been tailing her. She managed to spot a few goblins, still searching, but in all the wrong places. Finally, Alice let the tension leave her body, as she clambered up the rocky hills, heading back to where she had left Amayori.

When she returned to her dragon, she lifted her head, acknowledging the return of her master. Alice smiled as she patted the dust off her clothes while looking at Amayori, quietly petting the side of her neck before jumping on her back. Alice believed that the distance between herself and the ones who had been chasing her would now be so great that they wouldn't easily notice the dragon taking off. Even then, Alice directed Amayori to fly close to the ground, mirroring the formations of rock on the surface, even until reaching the End Mountains. It was only until after crossing it that the dragon and her rider flew up towards the sky without fear of being spotted.

In recent days, Alice made her camp near Rulid, in the forested regions around the village. The villagers had already familiarized themselves with the sight of dragons flying near them ever since they had learned of the Dark Territory's invasion plans. Alice still never had the courage to walk into the town without her full helmet, instead choosing to remain a faceless, nameless Integrity Knight. But even then, she was able to quickly acquaint herself with some of the villagers. Obviously, with her father Gasupht Zuberg being the village chief, it was impossible to avoid him, but the one she was most interested in was her sister, Selka. Unfortunately, Alice never saw her, and she could find no reason to specifically ask for Selka without raising suspicions.

Before Amayori landed on the ground, she made sure that there were no villagers in the vicinity. However, she found a small girl on the ground, holding a basket in her hands. Quickly, Alice grabbed the helmet that was in her bag, and shoved it over her face before landing her dragon. When the dust finally settled, she looked at the girl on the ground, who seemed rather nervous, fidgeting in place, unsure of whether to approach the knight or just stand still until she was called. To save her the worry, Alice called out to her as she unmounted, telling her to step forward with what she had.

"You may come forward. What assistance do you require?"

The girl treaded forward with both her arms and legs shaking. As much as Alice wanted nothing more than to remove her mask and alleviate the poor girl's fear, she couldn't, as her own fear of being revealed to everyone else in the village overpowered that will. Instead, silently apologizing to the girl, she promised to repay her one day for the fear that she had caused her this day in some shape or form. As her trembling legs finally stopped, she thrust towards Alice the basket she held in her hands.

"Um… Esteemed Knight! This… this is a gift for you! On behalf of the villagers of Rulid, I want to thank you for watching out for us! We know that you're working hard to patrol and make sure the Dark Territory doesn't attack us, so… we offer this as thanks!"

In response to the girl's gift, Alice stretched out her left hand and took the basket. She faced the girl and nodded her head, acknowledging the gift. Alice was unsure of how to respond – whether she should give out a specific thanks to this girl, or just remain silent and keep that mysterious persona about herself. But seeing how she had already frightened the girl with her appearance, she decided to spare her some fear and give a proper evocation of thanks.

"Your gift is greatly appreciated. Tell me, young girl, what is your name?"

"My… my name is Selka Zuberg, Esteemed Knight."

Hearing the girl's name, Alice froze. This girl in front of her was none other than the sister she had longed for so long to meet, and now they finally stood face to face, not even separated by two mel. This could be her opportunity to finally reunite with her family. But at the same time, Alice was unsure of how her old family would react to her, and doubtful that they would accept her for who she had become. She wasn't ready to reveal herself yet – that's what Alice decided, and so despite the shock of seeing her family right in front of her, she resisted the urge to say or do anything.

Seeing that the knight in front of her remained silent and stationary, Selka bowed politely and prepared to return to Rulid.

"Once again, thank you, Esteemed Knight. We pray to the gods that you will be safe in all your travels."

With that, Selka turned around and began to walk back to Rulid. There was still some unease in the young girl's steps, but at the same time, Alice could see a hint of confidence, probably gained from having successfully talked to an Integrity Knight. Alice stood motionless, watching the slowly fading figure of her sister grow smaller and smaller as she moved away, until the shadows of the forest swallowed her figure whole. Finally, Alice allowed herself to relax, and headed towards the small home she had built.

Calling it a home was a bit of a stretch however, considering how she, as an Integrity Knight, had never been trained in the art of building. But due to her status, it would be difficult for her to ask a villager to help her build something. Her pride as a knight, though now already greatly diminished after all the revelations she had come across, was still too great for her to stoop to that level. She pushed aside the curtain serving as the main door and walked inside to sit on the lonely chair.

In silence she remained for a long time, reflecting on the armies she had seen today. Without question, these forces were far stronger than she, or any of the other knights, had anticipated. If their estimates on the number of forces were accurate, then holding off this invasion was even more of a daunting task than had originally been envisioned. With the level of coordination she had witnessed, the strength of the Dark Territory would grow exponentially, from a mass of disorganized soldiers, to now articulate units working together with care and unity. No longer could the Integrity Knights easily wipe out large swarms of the enemy army with their weapons alone; it would take those with an extremely high competence in the Sacred Arts to blow them away with colossal anti-army scale arts.

She decided – tomorrow, she would fly back to Centoria, alerting the other Integrity Knights of what new information she had gathered regarding the strength of the Dark Territory, and calling them back for a meeting to discuss the changes necessary to their plans and formations. Worse still, surrender could be an option which now had to be considered. If the defeat of their army was inevitable, then wouldn't it just be best to surrender and try to find some solution where the Human Empire would give up mostly everything, but still survive? Then again, there was no guarantee that the Dark Territory would keep their word, and it was likely that after accepting this surrender, they would go on an endless slaughter of all the Human Empire.

There was really no point of thinking so much about these hypothetical situations, as this was something which needed to be discussed with all the other Integrity Knights. Instead, Alice turned her attention to the basket, and the girl who had given it to her. As she reminisced on Selka's figure, burning the image of her little sister into her memory, she realized this was likely the first and last time they would see each other until the end of the war. The question would be where they would meet – in the streets of Rulid, or in the plains of the afterlife. Alice even regretted not actually saying something to Selka, wishing to turn back time at least to reveal her presence. Looking through the basket that Selka had given her, there were various types of sandwiches. As she gazed over them, her head suddenly groaned in pain, as if within her head, something was straining to free itself.

 _So this must be something related to the memories I've lost as well…_

After recognizing the likely source of her pain, Alice tried her best to ignore it. After a few seconds in agony, she reorganized her mind, and finally dove into the sandwiches. This food would allow her to forego one day of hunting, as she would have enough to sustain herself for a few meals with the abundance of nutrition in this basket. To top it off, these sandwiches were more delicious than anything she had prepared on her own. When she had finished, she heard a solid but muted thud on the ground; Amayori had returned from feeding, and Alice went outside to greet her dragon one last time before heading to sleep.

* * *

A light vibration through the ground shook Alice awake. Though slightly frustrated at whoever or whatever had awoken her, she tried to return to sleep, ignoring the slight shaking beneath. The vibrations were very uniform, coming at frequent and specific intervals. Still, Alice attempted to continue her slumber, even though the noise sounded so unnatural in her environment. Being in the middle of the forest at the dead of night, why would there be such a periodic noise? Finally, Alice decided to get out of bed and find out what the cause of this noise was.

Rubbing the sleep out of her eyes, she stepped off her mat and into her boots, eager to head outside and quiet the source of the noise. When she did, the din grew even louder, and she recognized that it wasn't one source of sound, but rather many all layered on top of each other. And this was a sound she recognized – the sound of marching. With a sharp breath, Alice finally realized what was going on.

 _It's an attack, the Dark Territory is here! Why would they suddenly attack? How did they launch this attack? Are they looking for me?_

Alice scrambled back inside her home to grab the rest of her equipment, before sprinting out and heading behind her humble abode, scrambling to awaken Amayori. The dragon grumbled in displeasure, but upon seeing her master's harried look, she shook herself awake, leaning down to allow Alice to climb onto her back. By this time, the sound of marching had already faded, when suddenly, in the distance, the sound of a bell ringing filled the air. Soon after, panicked shouts slipped through the pitch-black sky, floating towards Alice's ears.

The only people who lived near Alice were those of Rulid, so without a doubt those villagers were under siege right now. Alice quickly commanded Amayori to take off, heading towards the epicenter of all the action. Her mind in a completely frazzled state, only having woken up recently, now had to shake off her fatigue to fully assess the situation. Without her intervention, the villagers would likely be slaughtered, some taken as prisoners for those of the Dark Territory to enjoy. As her blond hair flapped in the wind as she rode above the trees on her dragon, Alice realized that in her panic, she had forgotten her helmet. But this was no time to care about that detail, if she delayed any longer, there wouldn't be any village left to protect.

The sound of clashing metal could be heard as she drew near, but so far that it was contained to the village gates. Further south, families raced through the streets, taking their most prized possessions and fleeing away from the action. The village guards had already bought a lot of time for the citizens to evacuate, but those who lived closer to the northern edge of the town were still very much in danger. Despite how the newly erected village walls served to concentrate the attacks of the goblins, it was only a matter of time before this line of defence fell. Additionally, some villagers hadn't even left their homes, fearing to lose a single thing, trusting that they would be saved from this terror.

Thankfully for them, that salvation would come. As Alice neared the gate, she leapt down from Amayori's back, unsheathing her Osmanthus Blade as she fell, and piercing the nearest goblin to her as she landed. Knowing that this was no time to hold back, she unleashed the sword's Perfect Weapon Control Art, reducing the goblin front lines to a fraction of its initial force. A few of the guards had been on the brink of being overrun, but with Alice's intervention, they had been saved from certain death. But before she could step forward, a shrill voice called out to her.

"A… Alice?!"

A young man, one of the guards, called out to her in a frightened tone as he stared wide-eyed at her. She couldn't remember his name, but obviously the name of Alice Zuberg was not so easily forgotten in the streets of Rulid. There was no time to wait, this was no time to shy away. Eventually, this would have happened regardless; she would have revealed herself to the villagers, in an inevitable attempt to reconnect with her family. If the secret was revealed now, then so what? She would deal with the repercussions later, but first she had to ensure that this village wouldn't be annihilated.

"I am no longer the Alice Zuberg you knew. My name is Alice Synthesis Thirty, and you will obey my orders. Gather the rest of the village guards here, and call upon all the able-bodied individuals who are willing to fight. Let them use whatever weapons they can find; all they need to do is cause chaos in their ranks. Once these scum are scattered, they will be easy pickings."

The man looked at her with an incredulous expression, his shock permeating through the very pores of his skin. But knowing that the girl in front of him could not be lying, he swallowed up his uncertainties, calling out to his fellow village guards to comply with her orders.

Eventually, a large gathering arrived, among them Gasupht Zuberg, Alice's own father. With eyes in wonder, all the villagers stared at her figure, dancing between the goblins, nearly effortlessly cutting them down. But his eyes were different, not just surprise, wonder, and curiosity – they were also plagued by a shadow of doubt and disappointment.

Of course, Alice did not get to meet the eyes of the man who had raised her since birth, being so preoccupied with keeping the goblins at bay along with the rest of the guards. When the man who first recognized her called out to her a second time, she began to reorganize those who had come to aid carrying pitchforks, axes, and even spades. The order was to form ranks and charge, and when they had done even the slightest damage, fall back and regroup. With Alice as the centerpiece, she could easily pick off any goblins who had fallen out of formation.

This plan would only work because she knew this flow of soldiers was not unending. Further down the road, Amayori had been wreaking havoc among the goblins, burning them to a crisp with her fiery breath or whaling blows on them with her long wings. Eventually, the goblins near the gates of Rulid realized the terror happening just behind them, and began to panic as well. With that realization, they had lost their last hope.

Still, battle cries raged from both human and goblin alike, both sides fighting in desperation. Metal against metal, foot against soil. As the goblins began to be cornered on both sides, their ferocity only increased. Wanting not to have sacrifices be made in vain, they attacked unendingly, getting hopelessly out of position for the opportunity to harm any human near them. But Alice would not allow it, making sure that the petals of her Osmanthus Blade would be within striking distance of any goblin approaching the villagers. With the battle raging onwards, exhaustion began to set into all the combatants – slowing their movements, marring their judgements.

Hours after the initial attack began, the road was littered with corpses. Goblins ripped apart by the Osmanthus Blade, others pierced by pitchforks and slashed by axes and swords. Limbs rested on the ground without their owners in sight. Without a single villager casualty, but many severely wounded, it was nearly the best possible result. Alice, along with all the other villagers, were completely exhausted, having fought for hours against an enemy with seemingly unlimited numbers. Indeed, some of the goblins had escaped, but Alice's biggest worry was how they had even managed to arrive in the Human Empire. She had sealed the passageway through the End Mountains by collapsing the rocks in the cave, but yet an army as large as the one they had repelled had still shown up on the village's doorstep without any prior warning.

After trudging through the bodies on the road, she finally arrived at the End Mountains. Horrified, Alice assessed the damage done; the collapsed rocks had been completely removed, and even some of the walls of the cave had been chipped away, allowing such a sizeable army to march freely into the Human Empire. This time, Alice did not bother with rocks. Damming the river in the cave, she flooded the entire cavern and froze it with the cryogenic elements she had previously generated. The only way this passage could ever be reopened would require the intervention of an arts user on par with Alice; it was likely no such person existed in the Dark Territory.

As she arrived back in Rulid, she was greeted by the village chief, her father, and Selka, her sister. The family reunion moment she had so wished for previously had now become a moment she now dreaded. She speculated on the words that her father might have for her, after learning that his daughter had become one of the knights who protected the Human Empire. But when the words came, she was shocked, devastated, and distraught.

"Great Integrity Knight, we of Rulid thank you for coming to our aid and protecting all of us. Without your help, surely all of us would have perished. I sincerely thank you for your service."

With that, her father bowed once more before turning and walking away while Alice remained shell-shocked. Tears forming in Alice's eyes, having not even been given a personal acknowledgement by the man who had given her life, she nearly crumpled as she turned her head to face Selka. But Selka's face gave her hope – her eyes were wet with tears as well, but she still wore a brave smile.

"Esteemed Knight… no, Big Sister. Thank you for coming to save us. Thank you for coming back. Thank you for accepting the gift I gave you. Father… he does not hate you. I believe he is just very confused, after seeing you for the first time in so many years. Big Sister, you have no idea how much I longed to see you, how much I wished to embrace you again…"

As Selka began to break down into tears, Alice stood there, not knowing what to do. Eventually, she decided on admitting one truth about her transformation into an Integrity Knight.

"Selka, I'm sorry, but when I became an Integrity Knight, my memories were sealed away."

At that, Selka's head shot upwards, eyes now filled with shock, her tears seemingly forgotten.

"Because of that, I don't remember any of the things that happened before, but your name was something I could not forget. Even if I could not put a face to the name, hearing it still struck a chord in my heart; I knew that you must have been someone near and dear to me. I promise you, the next time I return, I will have regained my memories; I will be the sister you once knew. Hopefully then, Father can accept me again."

With tears rolling down her own cheeks, Alice stepped forward and embraced her younger sister. Initially stiff as a log, Selka eventually melted into Alice's arms, as they both cried knowing their time with each other was short.

Alice didn't even know how many minutes had passed, as she and Selka simply remained in each other's embrace. But eventually, the noon sun began to beat on their backs, and Alice remembered she had a duty to fulfill. As she reluctantly broke away from her little sister's embrace, Selka looked up expectantly, her eyes now with a glimmer of hope.

"You'll come back for sure, right, Big Sister?"

Alice let out a smile, before she nodded and responded.

"Yes, I promise I will."

As the girls waved to each other, Alice headed back to her little hut. Packing her belongings quickly, she latched them onto Amayori's saddle. She climbed onto her dragon's back, and took to the skies once again, this time, headed back to Centoria.

* * *

 **A/N**

First off, just want to apologize for this chapter coming out a bit late; I wanted to get it out on Sunday, but school is a thing that exists. And when someone decides it's a good idea to schedule three midterms and two project deadlines within 5 days, things just ain't gonna go well. But anyways, I survived that week and here I am again! It's just pretty ironic (and sad) that as soon as talk about how I want to keep a schedule it ends up immediately broken.

Well anyways, onto the chapter. As expected, this one focused on Alice and the Dark Territory's invasion through the north. In the actual novel, by this time Alice had already relinquished her role as an Integrity Knight, and tried to fit into Rulid as a normal person. But in this version, she still maintains that image, and I wanted to see how that would play out. I thought it would be logical for her to be scared of meeting her family, but I'm pretty happy with how things ended up turning out. I do feel that I could have expanded on the end part where Alice and Selka talk things out, but quite frankly I don't feel too comfortable writing emotional things, which is something I definitely want to work on.

As I've mentioned before, jhunniethelegend was the friend who convinced me to give writing this story a shot, and they're also the friend who so kindly helps with editing my chapters. So this story really wouldn't be possible without their help! They do have a few words to say, so I'll give them the mic now.

 **Editor's note** : Hello friends, it's your resident editor jhunnie here! I just wanted to say hello because it seemed fun and I like to write these notes. So, hello! Anyways, if the chapters are ever late you can just blame it on me (even if it isn't my fault), I am a super busy legend and it requires much time management finesse that I have yet to acquire. I hope you all are enjoying the story so far! I like to read the comments because it makes me really happy/excited to see people reading my friend's story. Please continue to follow! Maybe chapters will come out faster during the summer :'(

Fun fact, I have never read or watched SAO but I _am_ part of the reason why biri24 is writing this fanfic – it's because I'm a pushy friend (so pls no shade ty). Another fun fact, biri24 refers to me as the legend because that's what I am, don't question it (also it's a long standing meme). Final fact, I'm American and the Canadian spellings that biri24 uses really grind my gears. I always change them but then he doesn't take the edits and that really upsets me. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

 **Back to me** : I do have some more apologies to make regarding the facts in the story. As I'm watching the most recent episode of SAO, I see Administrator removing her bed from the room. Instantly, I'm completely spooked, because I completely forgot she did that. I was always under the impression that she left the bed out (ok to be fair I did think it was weird when I was writing but I never bothered to check haha), but after checking the actual novel, turns out she DID in fact remove her bed. Feels slightly bad to get such a big fact wrong, but the silver lining is that it doesn't really affect the story as a whole.

Both this and the last chapter have left off on basically the same note, with two important knights returning to the capital for a big (and possibly final) meeting before the war. Not surprisingly, that'll be the focus of the next chapter, but don't be surprised if a few other characters also show up! Once again, thank you all for reading, feel free to leave reviews, and hope to see you all next time :)

 **But to respond to a few comments:**

thewookie1: Honestly, I have no good reason for setting this weird interval! I have always just ended up posting on Wednesdays and Sundays only, but I'm going to be relatively flexible on when _exactly_ I post. As long as it's sometime around 2.5 weeks.

Reina Himemiya: Great point! I honestly forgot about Lunaria existing at all, since she never shows up because there's literally not enough STL's to support her being in the story. But who knows... maybe she'll show up in my version :) I'll just let the story take its course~


	6. Chapter 5 - Future

_**Chapter 5 - Future**_

* * *

10/27/380

* * *

The feeling of being in a city was simply unrivaled. Despite how fresh the air smelled on the western boundaries of the Empire, how staggering the views were in the north, how beautiful the creatures were in south, or how perfect the weather was in the east. Centoria was still different, maybe even _unrivaled_ in a sense. Bercouli felt this every single time he returned to the city, seeing a place so majestic, that even the gods would be envious of its grandeur. He had, over his last 100 years of memory, witnessed this place grow even more. Under Administrator's rule, she had continued to transform the city, filling it with wonders left, right and center.

But the era of her rule had come to an end, and now the Integrity Knights were tasked with curating not only this beautiful city, but also the entire Human Empire. And as if that wasn't difficult enough, the Dark Territory was closing in, nearing the moment when it would begin its incessant assault on the Human Empire. Though Bercouli wanted to remain confident and hopeful in the skills of his fellow Integrity Knights, as well as the efforts of Kirito and the volunteer soldiers he was in charge of training, his heart still weighed down heavily from the responsibility of being the man in charge. He could only wish for some miracle, where the entirety of the Empire could be protected, without having to sacrifice any bit of its beauty, or its residents.

Hoshigami drew near to the landing platform on the 30th floor, with the opening clearly in sight. Gracefully, the dragon drifted towards the opening, landing on the floor with a solid thud. Despite his mighty frame, flying for that far a distance with so much on his back was enough to severely drain his energy. As Bercouli nimbly hopped off Hoshigami's back, he gave the dragon a rub on the underside of his neck, before retrieving the gear and heading inside the Cathedral. Hoshigami, silently watching his master move away, quickly moved into a comfortable position, laying down and quickly falling into a deep slumber.

As Bercouli silently walked up the steps of the Cathedral, he thought about the events which brought him back to Centoria. An attack through the northern gate… did this mean their guess about the armies moving east was wrong? If the Dark Territory spread out their forces, then it might be impossible to stop their invasion. There weren't enough Integrity Knights who he trusted to hold off an entire army by themselves. A battle on multiple fronts wasn't something they could win.

Nearing the Great Hall, Bercouli began to hear voices. No, these were shouts of anger and frustration. The only people he could see arguing at this volume… it was definitely those two at it again. His vice commander, and his so-called disciple. Fanatio and Alice were always at odds for some odd reason, sometimes bickering about even the smallest of things. As he neared the door to the hall, he could even hear the contents of their argument.

"Just look at what they've been able to do! What if they push forces through the other sides too? Who would be there to stop them? One Integrity Knight against that large of an army? They would be crushed before any help could arrive and then the lands of the Empire would be ravaged and razed."

"We must trust in the strength of those knights, it is the only option we have! Of course, pulling some knights to the other borders would surely help stop those areas from being overrun, but what of the east? Weakening the front here would surely spell disaster for us all. We know that the bulk of their army will attack through the east; that is the only location which could allow for an army so large to pass through."

"I do not believe that the Dark Territory will be so naive as to only attack through one front. They might even send sizable forces to the other entrances, considering that the Great Eastern Gate is only so large. In that case, we would be resigning one knight to a fight they absolutely could not win. Just by increasing that count to two knights, controlling a passage would become infinitely easier, and it might barely be enough to hold off that invasion."

Bercouli finally pushed open the door to the hall, only then realizing that there were many more than just two in the room. But the rest remained silent, cautiously hanging back while the two female knights were occupied with arguing about what to do. However, the moment the two women noticed the opening of the door, all other heads had already turned towards the man who walked into the room. Eyes now widening, both realized that it was their Knight Commander who had just returned from the eastern reaches of the Empire, and immediately ceased their quarreling.

Bercouli shot them both a slightly annoyed glance, to which both female knights stiffened up slightly, eyes quickly shifting towards the ground in embarrassment. Seeing their reaction, his mouth turned up with an amused smirk, as he sat down at the table with the rest of the knights. Nearly all the knights who were awake had assembled here, with the exception of those currently tasked with guarding the west and south entrances into the Empire. An ensemble of knights now crowded around the table, awaiting the words of their leader. Knowing that this moment could entirely change the actions of the knights and the whole of the Human Empire, Bercouli did not delay any further, and called to start the meeting.

"Well then, shall we get started?"

* * *

The smell of fresh bread drifted with the wind, filling every reach of their noses. As Bercouli and Fanatio roamed the streets of Centoria, they simply looked like a swordsman and a swordswoman. Not wearing their armour meant that they wouldn't be recognized as Integrity Knights, so the common folk wouldn't be frozen in reverence for the ones who kept their lands and homes safe. However, there was still no method of hiding their immense aura, so they walked through the streets undisturbed, though there were many awed looks and muted whispers trailing behind and around them.

This was after Bercouli had pulled Fanatio and Alice aside following the meeting, scolding them for acting in such a way in front of all the other knights. He understood that the two of them had their differences in opinions, but it was still no reason for them to bicker like children in plain sight of the other knights. Alice, naturally, was unhappy about the scolding considering how the meeting had gone. She didn't exactly storm off, but she also was not thrilled about being told off by Bercouli, muttering something about going back to patrol in the north. A few minutes later, Bercouli saw Amayori flying above Centoria's skyline, with a blond-haired female knight on her back.

Fanatio had suggested that she and Bercouli take a walk around the city to cool off heads, and let Alice do the same on her own time. Agreeing to this, the two knights left behind their armour before heading down the stairs of the Cathedral, taking to the streets side by side. Both these knights had a feeling that it wouldn't be long before Alice returned to the Cathedral. She was young, and sometimes that translated into explosions of emotion. That was part of the reason that she and Fanatio often had arguments. The other reason… well it wasn't exactly a part of her that Fanatio herself was proud of. But when that side became exposed, she couldn't help herself to escalating the situation either.

Even in their long lives, the knights rarely ever walked through the streets the way they were doing right now. For one, Administrator had never allowed it, saying that that there were much more important things for them to concern themselves with rather than frolicking around with their subjects. However, this was probably just a ploy to decrease the probability that they would meet their old family members, which would undo the brainwashing from the Piety Module. The other, more realistic, reason was that there were usually more pressing issues near the borders of the Empire. Oftentimes, the knights would be stationed outside the city, along the border, watching the movements of various guerilla groups in the Dark Territory.

Their lives were bound by duty, for a dictator of a ruler. They did not have the time for relaxation; no time to escape from their obligations. Even with the highest minister's passing, these conditions did not change. In fact, the knights spent even more hours of their day working, now that the internal affairs of the Empire were completely thrown in disarray. When Administrator was slumbering, Prime Senator Chudelkin would deal with most matters in the Empire, but he too had been lost in the battle on the 100th floor. Now, all this administrative burden fell on the knights; something they themselves weren't particularly well-versed in.

Fanatio turned to her superior, thoughtfully gauging the expression on his face. She noticed the deepening of the lines on his face, the darkening heavy circles underneath his eyes – the stressful nature of being the man in charge was taking a toll even on this great man. She felt saddened seeing him in such a state, his handsomely chiseled face now falling victim to eyebags and wrinkles. She couldn't and didn't want to imagine how many sleepless nights the Knight Commander had endured in those first few days after Administrator's passing. The torch had been passed, but the one who last held the torch had stumbled far away, scattering flames everywhere, forcing others to pick up the fragile, broken pieces.

As the two toured the streets, they picked up some food from a few street vendors, enjoying some local delicacies for the first time in their lives. It was so different from the food they ate within the walls of the Cathedral, or even the food they had when they were on patrol. This was the taste of the city, something that not even Administrator herself would be able to reproduce. The vividly unique way this food attacked your palate, Bercouli himself in his entire existence had not tasted anything like this. Sitting down on a nearby bench, the two knights basked in the beautiful weather, temporarily forgetting about the trials and tribulations that awaited them.

"Was that the right choice?" Fanatio tenderly asked Bercouli.

"Was _what_ the right choice?"

"Keeping the forces all in the east. I know that was my original suggestion, and what I personally believe is the better choice, but part of me still questions if that is the correct way to go forth with this situation."

Bercouli let out a long sigh, looking up towards the blue sky before locking eyes with Fanatio.

"Only time will tell. We make these decisions now in the present without knowing what the future holds for us. We can only hope that this gamble plays out in our favour. We have to assume that the Dark Territory will want to crush us head on, defeating us not only physically, but also from a mental standpoint. If they do instead intend to attack through the other gates as well… then we must pray that the knights who are assigned to guard those passages can hold off the armies long enough until we can send additional troops to their aid."

Fanatio swallowed audibly. As the biggest supporter of this move to load up the eastern front, she was terrified of the possibility that she was wrong, and that Alice would be proven right. How guilty she would feel if the knights received news that the other fronts were being hammered by the Dark Territory's forces. In the meeting room, she had retained a calm and collected aura, but inside, she was terrified of being wrong. As she was now outside with only her superior around, she allowed herself to reveal her inner self. Perhaps it was because Bercouli was her superior, and not someone else, that she could relax around him.

"Don't worry about being wrong, Fanatio. We had a majority support in this decision. Though not unanimous, it would seem that many of the other knights are also of the same mind that the attack will be greatly concentrated at the Great Eastern Gate. I'm sure the attack through the north was somewhat of an anomaly – considering that those goblins may have wanted to attack in an attempt to draw Alice out."

During the meeting, Alice had recounted her situation in Rulid in vivid detail, as well as what had happened that day when she was in the Dark Territory. She herself admitted that it was likely some of the goblins who had trapped her in the encirclement who had notified the rest of the army about her presence, wanting to get back at her while looting the villages hear the edge of the Empire. But still, she was convinced that they were bent on attacking through all the entrances to the Human Empire, because that was tactically the most logical course of action.

But after hearing the rest of her report regarding the skill level and equipment of the soldiers from the Dark Territory, Bercouli realized that it would be even worse to reduce the size of the force guarding the Great Eastern Gate. In fact, he wanted to strengthen it even more, considering that their numbers were massive, and the skill of their soldiers was much higher than expected. On the other hand, he agreed with the possibility that they could storm in from the other directions, and they couldn't exactly fully ignore the defences of those areas.

"But still… recruit the Swordcraft Academy students, huh? Is that really wise?"

"I believe it is. The academies are made up of boys and girls who have taken on the responsibility of training in order to defend the Empire. Though they may be inexperienced, they make up for it in terms of skill with the sword, and also their youth and fighting spirit. There would be much unused potential if they were left out of this battle."

Bercouli scratched his chin after hearing that from Fanatio. This was a suggestion that Fanatio had put forth, in order to further increase the strength of not only the eastern army, but also support the knights responsible for protecting the west and south. Obviously, with Alice sealing off the passage in the north, they could leave this portion of the border without worry. However, there were no rivers flowing through the Southern Corridor and Western Gorge, so her technique could not be replicated. Previously, this idea of gathering the students of the Academy had already been discussed, with this option being labelled as a "last resort". But without knowing the increased strength of their enemies, it would be unwise not to fall upon what previously was simply a suggestion.

"We really are putting our trust in so many people. We must show them that there is whole-hearted support behind their efforts, that they may not be discouraged considering the absurdity of this situation. Perhaps we could have some of the knights go directly to the Academies to talk to the students about this. That might make them more excited and motivated to serve and protect the borders."

Bercouli stood up, extending his hand towards Fanatio.

"We shouldn't sit here for too long. Let's take this conversation somewhere else, alright?"

Fanatio felt her cheeks heating up as she grabbed the hand of her superior, who easily helped her to her feet, before they both set off towards the outskirts of the city. As they moved radially from the center, the amount of people, buildings, and the level of sound all began to decrease. Finally, they reached the walls of the city – made of marble so brilliantly white, built more with beauty in mind, but still perfectly functional.

 _What if the Dark Territory is really capable of breaking through our army stationed at the Gate? What should we do then?_

Bercouli mentally considered a scenario where they were unable to hold their positions at the Great Eastern Gate, and the forces of the Dark Territory pushed their way through the Eastabarieth Empire.

"Will these beautiful city gates see the fury of warfare?" Fanatio's quiet but resolute voice sounded next to Bercouli.

He turned around to face her, startled that she had thought of these things as well.

Fanatio was still admiring the workmanship of the walls, unaware of Bercouli's stares. As always, Bercouli noticed the wonderful proportions of her face; the near perfect symmetry as well as the distances between her eyes, nose and mouth. Then he looked to her plump lips and her rounded cheeks, both of which filled her face beautifully. Throughout these past few months, Bercouli had been so busy that he had not seen Fanatio in a while, but he was reminded just now how beautiful of a woman she truly was. Not only that, but she had been by his side since nearly the beginning – being the second Integrity Knight in existence, they had existed alone with only each other's company for over 40 years before Administrator had added another to their ranks. His demeanor as the Knight Commander crumbled the most when he talked with her.

"I guess we need to hope that we can hold them off at the Gate. We need to fight smart, because this will be a battle where the enemy will be superior in terms of strength. And we'll have to do whatever it takes to win. Because if we don't, then the Eastabarieth Empire will be ripped to shreds."

Fanatio grimaced, troubled that Bercouli would avoid her question, but acknowledging his words nonetheless. This battle would be won or lost at the Great Eastern Gate, since there was no other suitable location for a smaller army to fend off a larger one. At least, not until the walls of Centoria came into view. The one saving grace was that no army would be able to penetrate the Everlasting Walls which separated the Eastabarieth Empire from the Norlangarth and Southacroith Empires. Only flying units would be able to pass over it, and the Integrity Knights were far superior in the aspect of aerial warfare. As long as they did not lose any knights during the initial battle at the gate, the other empires would be briefly kept safe.

"But it would be a good idea to fortify the eastern walls of the city. As they are right now, they would be breached in less than a day. Nothing would stop an invading army from getting into the city, and then they would rampage through it to reach the other Empires. If that ever happened, this land would be completely finished."

Bercouli took a breath as he looked away from Fanatio.

"I say that, but what would the people think of this act? Preparedness? Resourcefulness? Cowardice? Fear? To see their beautiful city walls, transformed into a fortress – the city would begin to descend into chaos."

Fanatio was in complete agreement with Bercouli's judgement, but she also thought about the amount of time they would have to consolidate the walls here to hold them down. But perhaps it would be best to leave this speculation on whether or not the gate would be breached until a later time; the enemy they had in front of them was powerful enough that the Human Empire and its inhabitants would be completely wiped off the map if sufficient preparations were not made before the two armies clashed.

The two knights stood in silence for a while, simply gazing upwards at the light-blue sky, and the city walls which extended high into the sky. On both sides of those walls stood enormous masses of marble, the Everlasting Walls, which reached so high into the sky that even the highest mountain peaks in the other empires were completely obscured from their vision. Fanatio did not want to consider the fact that in mere months, the sounds of birds chirping and wind blowing would be completely overrun by shouts of fighting men, screams of dying women and children, clashing of metal, and explosions of Sacred Arts. The Human Empire was on the brink of a living hell, but she had to ensure that this hell never reached the gates of Centoria, for the sake of all those who called the city their home.

 _If only Administrator were here…_

That thought genuinely crossed through Fanatio's mind, as she reminisced at how powerful the highest minister truly had been. Had she been here, the defence of the eastern front would be much more plausible, and additionally even a few knights could potentially be spared for the Southern Corridor and the Western Gorge. Yet her presence alone would not be able to guarantee the Human Empire's victory – that depended on the grotesque Sword Golems the knights had been informed about through the words of Alice. Transforming human life into swords… Fanatio shuddered at the inhumanity required to feel nothing when performing that act.

Human life was invaluable. That was why Fanatio had become so engrossed in the protection of the Empire. Learning of how this Golem came to be, as well as how all the Integrity Knights were "created", she realized that humans were so fragile, and that the knights tasked with protecting this frailness were indeed of the same brittle nature. They were, themselves, transient human beings, not befitting of any great power, but only gifted beyond the average commoner. But with this skill, there came a responsibility to protect. That was why the Swordcraft Academies were set-up, in order to train up those with exceptional skill, that one day they may protect the lands of the Human Empire.

What would happen to the knights in the future? Somehow, Administrator had managed to prevent them from aging, giving them the ability to live long after their own families had completely passed away. She seemed to have the ability to lock their ages into place, but now this art was completely unknown to her and the rest of the knights. Starting from that day, time would once again begin to pass for the knights, as they grew old alongside those they protected.

"Knight Commander."

"Why are you calling me by that name; we're alone aren't we? There's no need to be so professional."

"I apologize. I was just thinking about us, the knights. Our lives here have been a complete lie until recently. How do we live our lives now? We cannot truly be considered human, but yet at our very core that is what we are. For the knights with earlier numerical designations, we have far outlived anyone that our true selves had once known."

Fanatio shifted on her feet uncomfortably, as she was about to reveal her innermost concerns and worries to the man who had stood beside her for the longest of times. She couldn't even bear as much as a glance at his face, opting to look towards the sky so he would not be able to see the terror so deeply etched onto her face.

"I fear, thinking about this. How would we continue life as we have known it, now learning that we have not been sent down from the heavens, but rather stolen from our families so many years ago? And as for those who have recently joined our ranks, they still have living families. Eldrie, Alice, even Linel and Fizel. How will they return to their lives?"

A strong breeze carried itself past the city walls, causing Fanatio's silky black hair to flutter around her face. Shivering not only at the drop in temperature, her uncertainty about one particular aspect of what she had said now rampaged through her brain.

"Rather, will any of us even have the luxury of returning to our lives?"

She dreaded the future; this mystical unknown, which only fate knew. So abstract, no power in this world could control its course. So precious that anyone would do anything to secure their own. But in the end, the future was completely uncontrollable from the viewpoint of humanity. Whether it would go in your favour or not depended not only on one individual's actions, but rather an amalgamation of many things combined with the will of the gods. Even before she learned that the Integrity Knights were human, Fanatio had always hesitated to consider the future. Though she knew she was one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld, the thought that there were powers greater than her own simply irked her.

There was always one topic related to her future which she constantly came back to – the possibility of a family. For decades, she only had her eyes and heart set on one man, for decades she could think of no one other than the man beside her to be her soulmate. Yet nothing had ever progressed. As she lived back then, there was no time or place for that; she was a knight, bound by duty to protect the Human Empire even at the cost of her own life. The Empire came first, loyalty to the highest minister closely followed, but all else was stripped away, taking its place at the bottom of her priorities. And she knew that he too lived by those same commandments. Still she could not shake off her wandering thoughts, that one day wished to see her and her dear commander joined as one in love and harmony. As a knight sent down from the heavens, this was nigh impossible. But as a human being, this dream now became a possibility. In such a way, she was secretly ecstatic finding out that the Integrity Knights were in fact human. But she could find no time to ever approach him about this. She wasn't even sure that the commander would reciprocate how she felt. And when she had finally worked up the courage to do so, Bercouli had disappeared off to the eastern front, so painfully far away from her.

It was something she wanted to admit sooner rather than later, for fear that one or even both of them would lose their lives as they sacrificed themselves for the Human Empire. At the cost of their own futures, maybe the Human Empire would gain a marvelous one. With that anxiety rooted in the back of her head, she had been spurred into action, but her opportunity had slipped through her fingers as soon as she had prepared her own heart. Now, he had returned, and not wanting to miss this opportunity, she had invited him out to walk the streets with her. Though it was not a complete lie as she did want to cool off after having those arguments with Alice, it was truly her intention to speak to her commander about her feelings towards him, and the future she hoped they could have together.

As for Alice… Fanatio had always envied her. A skilled swordsman. Proficient in the Sacred Arts. Stunningly beautiful. And to top it all off, she was _incredibly_ close to Bercouli. Though she was certain that Bercouli viewed her as a daughter, and Alice saw him as nothing more than a mentor, she still felt notes of jealousy raging through her body whenever they conversed. Over time, that feeling began to surface whenever she saw Alice, her emotions an ugly green monster rearing its head, as she always gave her an incredibly cold attitude. She understood the idiocy and pettiness of these actions, and no doubt was Alice confused by her demeanor. That's why she would let herself end it all now. By talking to Bercouli about this now, she would be able to provide herself closure on this topic. No longer bogged down by jealousy and uncertainty, she would leave herself bare.

"Don't sound so pessimistic, alright? Yeah, for sure, the odds are against us; we're facing an army several times larger than ours, with the fate of the entire Human Empire at stake. But we are Integrity Knights, the strongest fighters in all the Underworld, we overturn all disparity to come back with victory. Yes, there is a chance that we will fall, but we must trust in our own strength, that we can come back to those who are important to us, proudly announcing to them that everything is alright now."

Fanatio shifted her head to face towards Bercouli, slightly surprised that he would end up being the one to comfort her. But her shocked expression slowly melted into a smile, as she remembered that he was always this caring of a man. Though stoic, serious, and sometimes seemingly unapproachable, he was always someone who cared for his subordinates, and those near to him.

"Hey Bercouli, I have something to tell you."

"Mmm? What is it?"

Fanatio blinked slowly, turning her face away and then back towards Bercouli, cheeks tinted red. Finally, she took a long breath, and spoke the words of her heart.

* * *

11/3/380

* * *

The bumps along the road were perfectly carried through the wooden wheels of the wagon, then through the hard, wooden seats. She was, however, very glad that the wagon was covered, or else Solus' bright rays would have been causing her much discomfort. She peeked outside to catch a glimpse of where she was headed and realized that she could already see the Great Eastern Gate and the camp which was set up right underneath it. Hurriedly, she poked the sleeping girl beside her, arousing her to let her know that their journey was almost at its end.

"Hey, wake up! We're almost there!"

The girl groggily responded, clearly a little disoriented after being asleep on the wagon for so long. She pushed her brown hair aside, rubbing her eyes and yawning tiredly while trying to wake herself up.

"How long have I been sleeping for?"

"I'm not sure, but it's already been long enough that we can see the Gate. Look!"

The second girl scrambled to the edge of the wagon to join her companion, shifting the cloth aside to see the view. Squinting against the bright light, they both peered towards the direction they were headed, catching sight of a massive structure, along with a dense scattering of tents dotting the landscape. After riding for so long, they had finally arrived at the easternmost boundary of the Empire, answering the call to defend the Empire. When they had first heard about the recruiting from the Integrity Knight who visited the school, they were shocked to hear how desperately they needed soldiers. Everyone in the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy had already learned of how the Dark Territory was invading, but they had also been told that the Defence Army would not be accepting volunteers from the Academies, at least not until further notice.

Five days ago, another knight had come, now announcing that anyone who was willing to volunteer for the army could do so. Naturally, nearly all the students in the Academies were overjoyed at this declaration, seemingly eager to prove themselves out on the battlefield. But truthfully, many of the noble elite were hungry to gather an achievement of standing on the battlefield, in a place without any danger. When the knight told them they could choose to be stationed at either the western, southern, or eastern borders, the vast majority did not choose to be in the east. They all knew of the Great Eastern Gate, the region where the fighting would surely be the most intense. The nobles, not wanting to risk their lives, but still wanting to be able to proudly boast that they were "serving and protecting the Empire", chose to be in places where they would most likely not be in harm's way.

All in all, only a handful of truly brave souls vowed to travel eastward, valiantly accepting the risk that came with the open battlefield. These recruits numbered so few that just a handful of wagons had been enough to accommodate everyone. This short chain of wagons finally stopped, and all the students finally began to disembark, stretching out their travel-weary limbs. Most were excited to be away from home for the first time, and delighted to serve the Empire they lived in. There were others, however, who did show expressions of fear and apprehension, after finally seeing the scale of the war they were about to partake in. However, all these young souls still resolutely stood forward, receiving instructions for where they were called to head to.

The line slowly dwindling, most of the students had already headed off after being assigned to their respective tents. Finally, it was the girls' turn. The soldier at the table looked up towards them, asking the same question he had asked all the others previously.

"Name and Academy?"

"Ronie Arabel, Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy."

"Tiese Schtrinen, Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy."

"Alright, you two will be assigned to Tent 13, which is at the back of the camp. At sundown, all the students will gather back in the main training area for a briefing."

The two girls bowed before heading back to the wagon to gather their belongings, then headed to their tent. As they walked, they marveled at the state of the camp – though clearly made of temporary fixtures, it still felt like a structured place. The tents were laid out systematically, and decorations, although scarce, were also nicely placed around all the camps, making it feel quite hospitable and somewhat welcoming. As they toured the camp, they finally made their way to the main training grounds. There they were met with the sights and sounds of men, young and old, in the midst of drilling formations. While this was quite impressive considering how they were all volunteers, and considering how little time they had spent together, the girls' eyes were quickly drawn to something other than the impressive display of unity and skill.

A certain black-haired boy stood on an outcropping, shouting out orders – encouraging the men to remain tight in their formation; pushing for them to do one final mock scenario before Solus' disappearance marked the end of the day. He stood, his presence stronger than any of the other troops, but at the same time still felt familiar, unlike any regular commander. Certainly, that was because the girls had a special bond with this individual, as he and another had even saved them from a horrid fate.

Excitement began to grow on the faces of both Ronie and Tiese. They turned to each other, overjoyed that Kirito had somehow been freed from the Central Cathedral. At this point, they did not even care to think about why that might be the case, but rather were swamped by feelings of euphoria. However, they contained themselves, until after the soldiers dispersed. Only then did they approach the black-haired youth, their steps laden with tentativeness. Kirito had begun to walk away slowly, noticeably exhausted. The girls began to realize that he had probably been doing this for the entire day, and thus it was only natural that he would be tired. But still, they wanted to reach out, and reconnect with one of their old mentors.

Finally, Ronie raised her voice, just loud enough that the boy who began to head towards the mess tent would be able to hear her.

"Kirito-senpai."

At that, the boy in front of them turned around, his eyes first showing confusion, wondering who had used that honorific, then changing into shock and pleasant surprise as he caught a glimpse of the ones standing before him. Then, his thin lips changed into a wry smile. How happy he was to finally see people who he had grown to love in this world, one of those he had vowed to protect. Though the place where they were meeting was perhaps the most dangerous in all of the Human Empire, he understood their drive to serve and protect the lands in which they had been born and raised, and did not even think to question their choice.

"Yo, Ronie, Tiese. It's been a long while, hasn't it?"

By this point, neither of the girls could contain their emotions anymore, instead rushing forward to embrace Kirito. Tears flowed freely from both their eyes, and even the boy had begun to feel tears prickling at the corners of his eyes. To love someone was a commitment. To miss someone was pain. To reunite with someone was the ultimate joy. These were the emotions flowing through the three teenagers who were currently in a state of pure bliss, embracing each other for a lengthy period of time.

"I didn't expect to see you two here. I wasn't even told that the Swordcraft Academy students would be called to become volunteers until two days ago."

The three finally separated, wiping away the tears from their eyes as they all smiled.

"When we heard about the Dark Territory invading, we were so scared. But then we thought about all the people in this world who can't protect themselves. We had so much more power than they did, so of course it was right for us to come here and help with the defensive effort!"

Tiese nodded eagerly, confirming her intentions as well.

"We had no idea you would be here either! What exactly happened?"

"Well… that's a really long story, but tonight I can fill you in on how I went from there to here. After all, all the students who just arrived have to meet here in a bit."

Tiese nodded and smiled, and cheerfully asked Kirito another question.

"Where's Eugeo-senpai?"

* * *

 **A/N**

At last, SAO: Alicization has caught up to the beginning of this story. Though I personally was not exactly a fan of how they ended that last episode (and this is coming from someone who has read all the novels, I don't even want to imagine what it's like for those who only follow the anime and have to be left with that cliffhanger), I still really enjoyed the past 24 episodes. I was telling all my friends "this season's gonna be SOOOO much better than the first two", hyping it up to be extremely, extremely good. In my own personal anime rankings (yes, that's how big of a weeb I am. I have a spreadsheet dedicated for this stuff), SAO did shoot up a couple of spots with this past season. Though at the same time, I wished they'd spent more episodes on it. Especially in the last few episodes, it just felt like things were a bit rushed, and I wished they could have spent more time on that last fight scene with Administrator. Personally, I am pretty sad that they're going to take a two season break before coming back in October, but that's understandable if they want to keep up the visual quality.

But enough about the anime, this should be an author's note, not an "author's rant about the anime". This chapter was titled "Future" and I really wanted to focus on the theme of "what will happen in the future", focusing on the viewpoints of Fanatio both personally and also considering the course of the Dark Territory's invasion. I'm sorry for not writing the actual scene where Fanatio actually confesses to Bercouli. I found it very difficult to pin down how she would act being more romantically charged, so I felt it would be best if I didn't venture into that front considering how I might end up ruining her character with a poorly written scene like that. It's also slightly a copout since, as I mentioned last chapter, "quite frankly I don't feel too comfortable writing emotional things".

Lastly I just want to respond to a few comments.

DaManWOFear: You (hopefully) got the Fanatio/Bercouli you were looking for! This is definitely a pairing I'll end up exploring more in the future, so don't worry as it definitely won't be the last you see of them. As for Asuna, she will be making an appearance, but I also don't want to rush in the introduction of so many characters. Generally, I will be trying to follow how the timeline of the original LN goes, so Asuna likely won't make her appearance until sometime after the battle has started.

Beyor: Personally, I completely understand your critique of how Kirito really shouldn't have just thrown everything onto Alice and Bercouli. That being said, Kirito was extremely unprepared to share all this information, and he himself admits that it's definitely not the best way to go about this. As for the point about Higa, I feel like the two situations, though similar, are still inherently different. To find out you are fabricated carries with it a different air than finding out you are not the original. To top it off, Alice and Bercouli "grew up" believing they were sent from the heavens, believing in a creation story. Because of this, I feel that knowing they were created not by a higher power, but by another human, while still shocking, is something that they could understand given enough time.


	7. Chapter 6 - Crushed

_**Chapter 6 - Crushed**_

* * *

11/3/380

* * *

I couldn't bear to face Tiese, but I could hear her heat-wrenching sobs clearly through the walls of the tent. She hadn't even managed to make it to the meeting for all the recruits, and Ronie stayed by her side as she always did. Before I walked out of the room, I could see tears beginning to well up in her eyes as well, but she tried to keep herself together for the sake of her friend. I could feel the emptiness in my heart which I had previously hidden away now coming back to haunt me. I personally knew how much Tiese valued Eugeo, even maybe more than I did. Biting my lip in frustration, I kicked the chair nearest me, disgusted by my inability to break bad news to people. Because of me, Tiese had learned of Eugeo's fate in the bleakest of ways. Because she had seen me, Tiese had been so elated at the prospect of reuniting with Eugeo. And because of _me_ , Eugeo had been resigned to this dreary fate.

Trudging back to my tent, I at least hoped that showing the girls the Blue Rose Sword, now infused with Eugeo's spirit, would bring some solace. No, it was my duty to tell them that I could bring him back, that he wasn't truly dead. Though he currently drew no breath, I had the power and the means to bring him back to his true form. This was information I surely owed the two girls, especially Tiese. As I brushed aside the cloth serving as the entranceway to my tent, I ducked inside and picked up the beautiful blue sword which resided on the sword stand on the wall of my tent. The sword felt heavier in my palms than I remembered, but that might have been my own fear and dread at bringing this to Tiese. What her reaction would be was a complete mystery to me, but I was hoping that she would at least be somewhat receptive to this.

Taking the blade and its scabbard, I headed back out towards the two girls, who were out in the open, sitting on a simple wooden bench. Tiese's sobs seemed to have died down, as all I could hear while walking up to them were quiet sniffles. The two girls were still tightly in an embrace, each unwilling to let the other go. Hearing my footsteps approach, Ronie turned around, gazing emptily at whatever was fast approaching. She first saw me, before her eyes strayed towards the sword in my hands. Wordlessly, she tapped Tiese on the shoulder, who slowly turned around to look in my direction.

The moment her eyes locked with the blade, the only remnant of her love, she straightened up as if a rod had been stuck straight through her body. I couldn't tell what she felt looking at this; whether there was some solace to see something that was once in her mentor's possession, or some form of unintelligible pain. I slowly walked forward to place the sword down in front of her, carefully laying it without removing its sheath. It still pained even me to look at this sword, but I still gave it the proper respects which it deserved every single morning. I had always thought that since this sword was infused with Eugeo's soul, maybe he would still somehow be conscious within it. I had thought that it might be possible for me to hear his voice even once, just so I would know there still was a chance for him to be returned.

His voice never came, however. At the very least, I could never hear it. Maybe I had subconsciously blocked out his voice, not wanting to remind myself of my greatest failure. Sometimes I wondered if Eugeo may have hated me – for being unable to save him. What if I had just prolonged his suffering by locking him in this form, robbing him of movement, of a body, of his own voice? Whatever the reason may have been, I hoped that Tiese might have a chance at breaking him out of his silent spell. Any animosity he could have against me wouldn't exist towards her.

Tiese slowly reached out her hand, hesitantly lowering it onto the scabbard of the Blue Rose Sword. Silent tears fell from her eyes, as she gazed upon that sword which once had an owner. But finally, I watched her hand descend towards the surface of the sword. Quickly, she moved her other hand as well, grabbing the sword in an embrace. A few moments passed, as I could only hear the voices of nature alone. Her eyes gradually filled with tears, before they began to fall steadily, staining her face with wet tracks. Finally, I heard her voice. She wailed, tightening her grip on the sword. Then Ronie came over to embrace her, and the two of them cried out together. But what was I to do? I had already shed plenty of tears over Eugeo's loss, being the one most capable of saving him, but also the one completely unable to do exactly that.

But seeing the two who valued him as much as I did broke me as well. My chest tightened and I felt pain like I hadn't since that day I watched him fading away. The feelings of failure clouded my entire vision, causing anger and frustration to build up within me. _I_ was the one who couldn't save him, the one who left him in this wretched state. If only I had defeated Administrator earlier, then I would have had the time to heal him somehow with Sacred Arts. But I hadn't. Because I wasn't strong enough, it took me that much longer to finish off the battle, and within that time, Eugeo had already gone past the point of no return. To be honest, I had no guarantee that this transformation into the Blue Rose Sword would be reversible. I hadn't even known it was possible for Yui until I spawned in ALO and activated her item. Perhaps there was no way to do this in the Underworld, and all my efforts would be for naught.

If I told Tiese and Ronie of this hope, and it ended up being a false one, I would not only be the bearer of bad news but also the bearer of fake news. But surely, I could find some way to bring him back. It would also be such a disservice to hide this information from them.

Before I could even say anything, a light radiated out from the Blue Rose Sword. It was a fleeting sight, but as I turned, I managed to glimpse the last bit of it. A small, warm light, just barely illuminating Tiese's face. Within that light hid a faint whisper. So slight and soft that I couldn't even hear what was said, but I instantly knew that it was Eugeo talking to Tiese. That confirmed it; his spirit did indeed live on in the sword, and now I knew that it was possible to bring him back.

Tiese sat there in shock, even her tears now unable to make a single sound. She and Ronie stared at the sword, their faces devoid of any expression, both very much confused as to what had transpired. I knew it was my turn to step up and explain to them what was going on. Evidently, the girls thought the same, as they simultaneously looked up at me, their eyes still wet, awaiting an explanation.

 _I won't mess up this time._

I thought this to myself, hoping that the third time would go much better than the first two times I had to break news to someone else. Well, at least the third time in this world. I thought back at the many times where I was placed in a similar situation, and every single time it had ended poorly. Hopefully, this could be my time to redeem myself, the time where I could finally do it right.

* * *

Silence brewed through the night. The darkness washed over the three of us, as we sat outside, the cold wind penetrating our clothes. It had taken so long for me to finally finish recounting the story of our climb up the Central Cathedral, as well as the final battle and Eugeo's fate. I even went so far as to delve into the reasons we fought against the Axiom Church and Administrator herself. I… I decided not to reveal to them about the truths of this world, seeing as the two girls had already encountered so much shock today. Instead, I wrote off saving Eugeo into an object as an art that I had once learned when I was a child. This was seemingly believable, considering how Eugeo had once thought I was a Lost Child of Vector, and both Tiese and Ronie seemed to accept this explanation. I told them that my memory of doing this in the past to someone else had suddenly resurfaced, and I had been able to successfully chant the proper incantation in order to perform this ritual.

At the very least, Tiese looked somewhat relieved hearing that Eugeo wasn't dead. Though I could still see the pain in her eyes, at the very least it wasn't a hopeless pain. One day, they could be reunited. One day, they could see each other face to face again. But it all depended on me, and my ability to rewrite the rules of this world successfully.

"Kirito-senpai."

Tiese's words resounded through the emptiness of the night. Her eyes held in them a fire – a contained yet very powerful one. I could even sense her determination radiating outwards from her very being.

"Until Eugeo-senpai comes back, I will fight to protect the world he so dearly loved. And when he does return, I'll gladly welcome him back, and tell him of the wonderful job I've done."

With her eyes filled with such a fervor, I was in no way surprised at the words she spoke. In fact, I was somewhat startled that it wasn't something crazier and more extreme reflecting the zealous gleam in her eyes.

"I will too! I will fight to protect the Human Empire the same way that you and Eugeo-senpai fought!"

Ronie voiced her similar attitude, wanting nothing more than to do her part in protecting this world. Seeing this expression, I felt a smile forming on my face, and a warm, bubbly feeling in my heart along with a newfound desire to achieve my goal. I _would_ be sure to bring Eugeo back successfully, where he could finally be reunited with the people who cared so much for him. But for now, all I could do was wait. There was no connection to the outside, so the terminal at the top of the Central Cathedral couldn't be used. There was another terminal at the World's End Altar, nestled deep within the Dark Territory, but I didn't even know where that was, and there was no guarantee that I would be able to make it there safely. It _should_ work, considering that Kikuoka had instructed me to bring Alice there. Besides, travelling there now would mean that I would be abandoning this battlefield, which was something I absolutely could not do.

With a bittersweet smile forming on my lips, I got up from my seat and turned towards the east, staring at the large structure obstructing any view of the eastern lands and beyond. It was almost time for us all to have the fight of our lives. The massive gate separating us from the inhabitants of the other side wouldn't last for long, paving the way for the intruders of the Dark Territory to enter. Soon, I would return to a battle of life and death – only this time, tens of thousands of lives were at stake. But regardless of how this battle would go, countless lives would be inevitably lost, an unavoidable fact that still made my stomach turn.

As I looked off into the distance, the sky seemed to pulsate a very faint red along the horizon of the pitch-black sky. Curious, I stepped backwards, squinting to try getting a better angle to see whatever was happening. But at that very moment, I felt the air around me turn slightly stiff. A strange feeling, but one I had felt months ago, when I was at the top of the Central Cathedral. This time however, the feeling was incredibly short lived, and I only noticed it because I happened to be moving backwards. The same feeling of time slowing down in this world… someone from the outside must be interfering. Was it Kikuoka, slowing down time for communication with the outside world? This feeling was different though, not like the one where time was slowed down to synchronize with the outside. It was so brief, just like someone was connecting… and entering this world.

Excitement and nerves raced through my veins. Help was coming from the outside. No longer would I be alone, no longer would the knights here be fighting an almost impossible battle. Those from the outside, those from _my_ world, could come and help turn the tide of this battle. Yes, it would be difficult to explain everything to the Underworldians, but given enough time, I'm sure that the truth could be spread across to them.

Quickly turning back to the girls, I bid them goodnight before turning around and heading towards the wall. There were footholds on the wall, meaning I could scale the entire thing. In my excitement, ignoring all the pain of my muscles screaming at me for my insane act of scaling the wall at the speed of light, I finally reached the top of the wall. Panting hard, my chest felt like it was about to burst, as my arms hung limply at my sides, having been completely exhausted from my ascent to the top. I recounted where I saw the origin of the light, as I scanned the ground near the foot of the wall. The dark cover of night prevented me from seeing anything, and I soon realized my eager climb was all for naught. I would have to wait until the sun rose once again, before catching sight of those who had come to aid us.

I wasn't at all discouraged, however, as the knowledge that help was coming was such a lift to my spirits. In my excitement, my heart raced uncontrollably, beating with such vigor that I could hear it above the blowing winds. I couldn't even wait for day to come, so I simply laid down to rest on top of the walls of the gate. My fatigue had completely disappeared, but I knew that there would be no point in continuing to search for signs of life beyond the wall in this darkness, considering that I couldn't even see the ground in this darkness. I mused silently at who could have come to our aid. This world was so realistic that it wouldn't even require anyone to be accustomed to VRMMORPGs; moving around in this world felt so natural. So it was likely to be someone from the higher-ups of Rath coming to help. Though Asuna was at Rath's lab for some reason… I could totally see her begging, and maybe even threatening, Kikuoka to login with one of the STLs so she could be with me.

I wished that were the case. It had been over two years since I last saw Asuna. I didn't even know what had happened in the Rath lab, but if she could login, then I would be sure that she was safe. To be perfectly honest, I would welcome anyone into this world, because they could finally explain whatever the hell was happening outside, as well as why and how I arrived here in the first place. Day would come before I found out who it actually was that had logged into the Underworld, so for the time being, I tried my best to take a rest atop these walls.

* * *

11/4/380

* * *

With the sounds of birds chirping, I finally woke up. Even though I was so high up on these walls, there were still birds which soared the skies. Suddenly remembering the reason I had slept on these walls, I hurriedly leapt to my feet, dusting off my clothing and peering across the wall down to the plains below. But I could see no one, the sight before me motionless without a single sign of life. I kept looking, scanning to the far reaches of my own vision, far enough that my eyes could see only shadows. Still, I could see nothing. My hope was instantly shattered. From being so ecstatic last night, to pure eagerness as I awoke, and now seconds later in a state of pure disappointment, it was like a roller coaster of emotions. Perhaps my own judgement was incorrect, and there wasn't actually anyone from the Real World coming into this world. But the feeling of air becoming sticky and viscous – what I had felt last night was an unmistakable feeling.

Dejected and disappointed, I began the long descent down the gate. I no longer had the motivation of the possibility of help coming, and so the climb down was excruciating, and very much time consuming. By the time I had returned to ground level, the time for breakfast had already long passed. Without saying a word to anyone, I headed back to my tent, pushing aside the curtain, and then I propped myself onto the bed.

As I sat in silence, I reminisced at the scene which I had seen last night. The faint red light, coming down from the sky. Accompanied by that sticky feeling in the air, it could only indicate intervention from the outside. And it couldn't be communication to the outside – the feeling lasted to for too short a time and there was no second shift. If the light had come from the east, then maybe whoever logged in had spawned further in that direction. But there was nothing other than barren wasteland in that direction, unless you went far enough to reach the Dark Territory's capital city of Obsidia. Why would anyone from Rath decide to spawn that far out, so far away from the Human Empire?

Unless the person who spawned in wasn't from Rath, and they weren't coming to help the Human Empire in this battle to come. But even then, why would any sane human being decide to spawn within a mess of literal inhumans? Besides, no one beside Rath could get into this world, so it wasn't like someone could connect randomly. And there would be no reason for anyone other than Rath employees to come into this world, so they would surely be the only people to login to the Underworld. Maybe there had been some sort of issue when this person was logging in, and they ended up far away from their intended destination. That reminded me of the time I was in ALO, ending up in the middle of the forest rather than the starter Spriggan city.

Regardless, I couldn't wallow in bed for the entire day. The new students had just arrived, and it was my duty to make sure that they were well equipped for battle. To be fair, they were all certainly skilled enough with the sword, but they probably weren't very well-versed fighting in formation. I tried to set aside this disappointment, and to just focus on the task at hand. If I didn't train them well enough, then that would be the equivalent of sending them straight to their deaths. Not only that, having a weaker unit would cause the overall formation to crumble when one point was broken through, and such a disaster _needed_ to be avoided.

* * *

All the Integrity Knights and the various commanders had been gathered inside the main command HQ tent. Surprisingly, despite the amount of people, there was just enough space for everyone to stand around the central table, though there was no space for anyone to take a seat. We had all been gathered here to discuss positioning and strategy; knowing we were so undermanned compared to the Dark Territory, we could not allow this to become a battle of attrition. The knights, including Bercouli, had already returned from their own meeting in Centoria about a week ago, but they came back looking even grimmer than when they had left. They also spent a significant amount of time scouting around the plains, so I didn't even have a chance to talk to either Bercouli or Alice. The meeting was the first time I had even seen Alice since she had returned to the east.

One of the things which surprised me the most was that they fully trusted me to lead my own unit. Though I wasn't one of the cornerstones of the defensive effort, the knights still trusted me enough to lead what they called a mobile "support" unit. I was sure that Bercouli had something to do with that, but at the very least I was grateful for the opportunity to help in any way. This decision was probably the best option for me anyways, since I was always better at attacking rather than defending. Being able to move around freely would give me all the flexibility to go on the offensive and disrupt the Dark Territory's forces.

As I mused about this interesting progression, I finally caught up to Alice. Hearing my footsteps behind her, she turned around, noticing my presence.

"Kirito. It's been a while."

"Yeah, it really has. What happened in Rulid?"

Alice's expression soured when she heard me mention the name of that village. Bercouli had mentioned that no one had died, so it seemed that nothing serious had happened, but I was still curious as to why and how they were attacked in the first place. After all, Alice had already fully sealed off the passageway, so attacks shouldn't even be possible.

"Somehow they managed to break through the wall of stones I set up in the cave. I have no idea what methods they used to accomplish this feat. But as for why they attacked, that may be linked to my actions the previous day. When I was scouting, I was detected by a group of goblins, but managed to escape. I believe it was the same group who incited an attack on the village. An entire army, hundreds of them, storming the gates of Rulid."

Wow… Honestly, hearing about that was pretty incredible. Despite how dangerous that would have been for the people living in Rulid, I still couldn't help but be amazed at how strong and smart the residents of the Dark Territory truly were. If they had managed to clear out that entire area without alerting Alice who was there on guard, then I truly felt nothing but awe at their actions.

"But now are we leaving the north unguarded? Won't they use a similar method to break through and attack the village again?"

"No, I have ensured that this will not happen again. I took the creek flowing through the cave, and using its water, created a barrier of ice. This will be impenetrable unless there is a user of sacred arts on my level, but anyone with that skill would be in the east preparing for the large frontal assault."

I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the villagers would at least be safe in the future, assuming we were able to prevent them from getting through on this front. I pictured the ones whom I had grown close to during my short stay there, thankful that they would be safe from any disaster, at least for the time being.

Looking back towards Alice, a slightly guilty look marred her features. No doubt did she feel that the attack was at least partially her fault, but I personally disagreed with that sentiment.

"Alice, they would have attacked regardless of what you had done. It would have been impossible for them to clear out all that rubble in one day, so they must have been preparing to attack. It just so happened that the timing worked out in a way where you happened to be there when the invasion happened. It would have been so much worse if you weren't there – everyone in Rulid would have likely lost their lives. But you were there for them. So, thank you."

I smiled at Alice, hoping to loosen her up a little bit. What I said made sense – this must have been a premeditated attack, and the fact that Alice had been spotted by some goblins the previous day must have been a mere coincidence. But still, she looked stiff as ever, but her face was clouded, and I couldn't determine exactly how she felt.

"I ended up revealing myself."

Confused, I tilted my head and raised my eyebrows.

"What do you mean by that?"

Alice took a calming breath before staring me right in the eyes and responding to my question.

"Whenever I was in Rulid, I made sure to cover myself up, so that no one would be able to see who I truly was. I was scared – scared to reveal my identity, and scared to be rejected by Alice Zuberg's family. But in the heat of the battle, my identity was revealed. I ended up meeting both my father and my sister. And my father seemed to reject me, not wanting to have any dealings with me. But Selka… at least she acknowledged me, and said that she would be waiting for my return."

She looked up towards the sky in a daydreaming state, and for a moment I was unsure of how to respond, stunned into silence. I knew that she had been taking every step to hide her identity from the residents of Rulid, but her facade was stripped away because of the battle. I only wished that her identity could have been revealed at a better time, maybe after the whole war instead of right before it.

"Alice."

At her name, she turned back towards me, and I could spot a hint of wetness in her eyes.

"I only know your father a bit better than you know him. But from what I do know, he is not someone who rejects another like that. Sure, you might be different than the Alice he once knew, but deep down inside, I'm sure he's grateful for your help. And he understands that though you may act differently, and you don't remember your childhood with him, you still are the same person deep down inside. It probably only came as a big shock to him, to once again see the daughter he thought he had lost so many years ago. I'm sure that the next time you go back to Rulid, he will be ready to accept you with open arms."

After that, I couldn't see her face anymore. Alice turned away, silent for a few moments. I didn't press on further; I thought it best to give her some time to mull over what had happened by herself. Finally, she turned back around, her earlier emotions gone from her face.

"Thank you, Kirito. I will do anything and everything so that I can return to Rulid. _Whatever_ it takes, I will successfully execute the plan which has been devised."

Simply thinking about the plan she was referencing genuinely filled me with nerves. It was no easy task, and essentially the whole course of the battle would rest upon the shoulders of one girl. I worried that it would fail, but it was the only way to mitigate the massive advantage in the numbers of Arts users that the Dark Territory had. Without Alice, the fight would be over before it even began.

"Focus on accomplishing only that. Know that on the ground, we've got it covered. Your fellow Integrity Knights, the volunteers from all across the four empires, the students from the Swordcraft Academies, and me. We're all here, fighting, so that you can worry about nothing other than accomplishing that mission. As Fanatio said, you're the greatest Arts user we have. If anyone can do it, it's you. You have all the resources, the training, and the skill to set this into motion. You're the key to our victory."

Of course, she and I both knew that everyone would be extremely worried about whether she would be able to bring about the intended result. But we all could do nothing but encourage her, as no one else would even be close to being able to help her with this. When everyone first heard of the plan, we all thought the idea was ridiculous.

"If I do this, the Sacred Arts users on our side will also be rendered useless. They would be forced to either fight on the front lines or be relegated to being at the back, moving supplies and acting as the main healing forces of the army. And if they cannot reach the front quickly enough? Then the brave souls risking their lives will be snuffed out as quickly as a fire under a torrential downpour."

Alice briefly paused, wearing a frustrated expression. I could completely understand her inner struggle – she also knew that this would be the only possible way that the Human Empire could stand against the forces of the Dark Territory, but to do so was a double-edged sword. But as the side which lacked numbers, losing any forces would be much worse than for our opponents. Based on pure numbers alone, each soldier would have to fell maybe five or six of the Dark Territory's soldiers. This on its own was already near impossible, but knowing that injury on the front lines would spell certain death? I couldn't even imagine the fear running through everyone's hearts.

"Still, I do agree with Fanatio, as I already said in the meeting. It _is_ the only way we can win. If they have access to the Sacred Power in the area, despite how diluted it may be, the Dark Arts users can call fire and brimstone down upon us. This is a gamble, but it is one I – no, _we_ – must be ready to take."

She turned her eyes towards my face and raised her right index finger to point straight at my chest.

"But you, Kirito, you also have an important role to play. The support units may be our only saving grace. The power to save those at the front lies in your hands."

That's right. The unit that I would be leading was labelled as a "support" unit. This support could come in many forms: more manpower, diversions, or even supplies and medicine. This last one might be the most important considering that we would all be devoid of Sacred Power. As a unit, we would have to deliver medical supplies all around the battlefield, making sure that as few of our troops would end up falling in battle.

"We both have important roles to play in this battle. Let us dedicate our hearts to this cause, and come back as the victors."

Her right hand, previously pointing at my chest, now extended in the form of a fist. With a slight smirk on my face, I bumped my left hand against hers, as we departed to our respective stations, preparing for the day of battle. We could probably count the number of days we had left on our two hands, and maybe even using only the fingers on one. Regardless, we would all have to put in our efforts to ensure that we had the best chance of coming out as the victors in the battle to come.

* * *

11/7/380

* * *

Birds sang their morning songs as if this were the same as any other day, but looking at the Stacia window of the Great Eastern Gate, I knew the day we were all fearing had finally come. From what used to be a number in the millions, the Life of the Gate had finally dropped to the hundreds. Its slow descent had started months ago, but judging by the rate at which the number was falling, by dusk today, there would be nothing separating the two sides.

The entire day was hectic. Everyone scrambled to get into position, especially those on the front lines. These soldiers would be the first ones to meet their foes straight on. It was possible that many of them wouldn't be here anymore very soon, but I sure as hell would be doing my best to make sure that as many of them would live to see another day. Not just for the sake of the defence of the Gate, but also so that they could go back to their families and live the rest of their lives in peace.

There was no training today. Everyone was solely focused on preparing themselves for the battle that would inevitably happen later in the day. The Dark Territory forces had already set up camp about two days ago, so they had already been preparing for this assault in full as well. As it neared dusk, everyone on both sides of the wall prepared for battle. Silence echoed through the air, as tension filled every nook and cranny on the plains and settled along the furrowed brows of the troops. The mobile team under my command was stationed near the front, ready to assist either Fanatio's or Deusolbert's forces. The plan was to make an offensive when they occupied the opposing forces, and deal crippling blows while quickly retreating and regrouping.

Finally, the sky began to turn red, as the sun began to set on the Underworld. As the evening wind began to blow into the valley, a cracking noise could be heard. Looking up, I spotted a large fissure running down the edge of the Great Eastern Gate.

 _It's time._

Without saying anything, I looked back at the ones who had been assigned to my unit. Everyone was dressed in light armour, as mobility would be the key in the effectiveness of the unit. It was composed solely of volunteers, as the heavier armed Imperial Guard would be more accustomed to wearing heavy armour. Unsurprisingly, Ronie and Tiese both volunteered to be a part of my unit, and I gladly welcomed them with open arms. As my eyes met theirs, I could see the fire burning fiercely within their eyes, as they readied themselves for the conflict.

Turning back to the gate, the fissure reached all corners of the Gate, before white light escaped from the cracks formed in the wall. Along the face of the gate, in flaming letters, I could see words written in English, or what the people here would know as Sacred Tongue. They read "Final Tolerance Experiment". This was the test that Cardinal had mentioned when Eugeo and I had been in her library. To all the others in this battle, these letters would mean nothing. Though my English wasn't great, I understood the meaning behind these three words.

 **Final** : the last one in a series of things, the one meant to be the ultimate occurrence. **Tolerance** : how well something could be endured. **Experiment** : a test of sorts, meant to assess some hypothesis. Putting these three words together, I fully understood what this was meant to be. The crumbling of the wall was not the experiment itself, but rather it was what allowed the experiment to commence. We were the guinea pigs, and the Dark Territory was the tester. The ones on the outside, Rath, would be the observers, seeing whether we could suffer through this last attack.

Crumbling from the top, the Great Eastern Gate released flashes of light extending high into the sky. And when these beams had finally cleared, I finally gained vision of a ground level view of the Dark Territory's army. Massive in individual size and total number, their forces easily outnumbered us by at least seven to one. Great war cries could be heard from the Dark Territory, clearly eager for the opportunity to finally take the lands of the Human Empire for themselves. But we all remained silent. There was no need for us to needlessly shake our voices; we would let our fighting do the talking.

As if they were all controlled by a single player in some sort of a war game, every single soldier on the front line of the Dark Territory rushed forward at once. Orcs, goblins, giants – their eyes filled with bloodlust and excitement, as they took their first step within the boundaries once sealed off by the Great Eastern Gate. The front lines of the Human Empire Defence Army braced themselves for those who had rushed forward. With a great clash, swords, shields and spears were locked together in a frenzy.

At last, the battle had begun.

* * *

It had already been over half an hour since the fighting started. Each individual unit of the Human Army was given near full autonomy, meaning that it would be up to the commander of each unit to decide on its actions. Of course, I wanted to make sure that Fanatio's troops were deadlocked with the orcs who had rushed into them before making a move. And finally, I could tell that the time was now.

With my right hand lifted, I pointed my index finger at the right side of the Dark Territory's troops. Silently, we all took off, racing to deal a crushing blow to these forces. With me leading the way, we neared their flank, and I finally allowed myself to let off a scream of my own.

Our units slammed into their unsuspecting right side, our plan a success. Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see the other members of the unit fighting onwards bravely, felling orc after orc. Despite the success of our intervention, it would be unwise to overstay our welcome. Quickly, I called for our retreat, realizing that we had done more than enough damage to their unit for now. But as I turned around, I noticed two of my soldiers, caught up fighting an orc which was larger than normal.

"Hurry and retreat! I'll cover for you!"

I hollered at them, and they obeyed instantly. With the soldiers turning back and running, the orc was now free from its previous hindrances, pouncing forwards towards their exposed backs. But I was there to intercept. Catching his spear on my blade, I pushed back with my Night Sky Sword, forcing the tip of his spear away from my body. This was enough for me to make my escape, and I didn't even bother fighting it. I backtracked quickly, ensuring that the path behind me was clear before hopping back, avoiding any orcs around me.

"Let's go! Let's go!"

Once again, my voice rang out as I encouraged everyone to retreat from the battlefield and return to our previous position. As I tried helping a few others who were currently unable to escape by parrying a few attacks, I noticed that my entire unit had already reached safety. Quickly scanning the battlefield to ensure that there was no one else in peril, I leapt out to safety as well. But as I was still in the air, I noticed something in the corner of my eye. A large, brown object hurtled towards my left side. Turning my head quickly to catch a glimpse of it, my eyes locked in on what it was. But by then, it was too late for me to dodge.

The club hit me squarely, and at that moment, I could only sense one thing – the sickening sound of my ribs being crushed.

* * *

 **A/N**

Wow, it's actually been a really long time since I last posted. I kinda got held up by a mix of exams and playoff hockey, and then Avengers happened too. Regardless, school's done (for the time being) and now I'm free, so I definitely won't be taking these long breaks again.

This chapter didn't have much of a focus, because it was meant to be a setup for the beginning of the battle, which just starts at the end of this chapter. But it's titled "Crushed" for two main reasons. For one, crushed refers to Tiese's state after learning about Eugeo (also I guess you can say that Tiese has a crush on Eugeo but that's really not what I intended). The second reason refers to the very last bit of the chapter, when Kirito literally gets smashed, and his ribs are crushed. Somewhat inspired by personal experience, where I fractured (but apparently it was just a bone contusion) my ribs playing basketball, which was rather unfortunate. But as I was writing, this experience popped up in my head, and I thought it would be an interesting twist to have Kirito get injured less than an hour into the fight.

Once again, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter. The war is finally beginning!

P.S. There's actually two direct references somewhere in the chapter, one to Avengers and the other to Shingeki no Kyojin. Wonder if anyone found them :D


	8. Chapter 7 - Hellfire

_**Chapter 7 – Hellfire**_

* * *

11/7/380

* * *

As the sounds of metal screeching echoed high into the sky, Alice sat atop Amayori, noticing the details of the battle unfolding on the ground underneath her. She could afford to turn her attention to the ground since Bercouli had already sealed off the air with his Armament Full Control Art. With that knowledge in mind, she kept her eyes set on the Dark Arts users, currently waiting in the second line of the Dark Territory's forces. However, none of them moved forward even a single step, and Alice was unwilling to leave the protection given by Bercouli's net. As she waited, she let her eyes wander to the other corners of the battle.

On the left, her disciple, Eldrie, was holding off the enemy's offence well. Facing off against the unit of goblins sent to his side, his forces were able to hold their ground, not giving up an inch to the enemy. Even from atop her dragon's back, Alice could see him barking out orders, while staying on the front, using his Frost Scale Whip to decimate the enemy forces. Alice wasn't surprised in the slightest seeing how he was able to lead his troops so effectively, considering what she had seen of him every day. His voice loud and clear, he always made his points clear, as he exuded an air of confidence and expertise, something the soldiers fighting under his command must have noticed immediately.

Despite the fact that some of the Dark Territory's strongest forces were clashing on that left flank at which Eldrie was positioned, he was controlling the situation rather nicely. Evidently, the Dark Territory's forces, maybe in a moment of frenzy, had begun to shift away from their previously ordered formation, to now fighting individual and fragmented battles. On the other hand, the Human Empire's troops remained disciplined and orderly, striking down each goblin one at a time, gradually weathering their offensive. The initial momentum which the forces from the Dark Territory held when first charging in had now died down, as the battle settled into somewhat of a stalemate.

In the center, Alice watched Fanatio's troops up against what she thought would be the most elite of the Dark Territory's ground troops – but she could only see more goblins. Though it seemed as if these were probably a different type of goblin, Alice herself was not very well informed on the different races existing within the Dark Territory. Under the command of the second strongest Integrity Knight, the line was mostly being held, save for the edges that had started curling in a bit. But all of this was within expectations, as it would be impossible to expect that those in the Human Empire Defence Army would be able to fully hold off the forces of the Dark Territory. The former had been lounging around up until very recently as the Integrity Knights ensured the peace around the borders, while the latter had waited vengefully for this day to come, not missing a moment in which they could become even stronger, all in hopes of one day crushing the Human Empire, stealing both their lands and their lives.

Fortunately, Deusolbert had suggested the creation of the mobile units, so that if any of the three units on the front lines had any issues, help could arrive quickly, fending off these inadequacies. It also gave a huge flexibility advantage, as now flanking manoeuvres could be performed at a moment's notice. Having said that, it did somewhat limit the absolute number of soldiers who could be used to withstand a full-frontal assault, though the first and second lines could be combined for further strength. Still, before the armies initially clashed, Alice feared that those of the Dark Territory would be even more skilled than the Integrity Knights had anticipated. Fortunately, nothing so far seemed to be outside of their expectations.

Deusolbert himself seemed to be in some need of the mobile units he himself had conceived. Being pushed back, the line that his troops held began to cave, collapsing inwards. Though the orcs who were facing off against that unit fell fast, the momentum of their charge had been able to carry them into a slightly favourable situation. The right side was in desperate need of aid, but Alice herself could not move a single muscle to aid her fellow Integrity Knight. As it stood, Scheta, standing on the right flank, had been overrun by orcs, her unit being pushed far away from Deusolbert's. Simply put, the numbers advantage was far too great. The orcs themselves were almost the same size as both goblin units put together. Their skill may not have been overwhelming, but that was compensated by sheer numbers. There was no chance that help could come from the right side.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the brother duo of knights Rian and Tian moving to help. Splitting up their support unit into two halves, they struck both the left and right flank of the orc force, creating a three-pronged attack along with Deusolbert's unit. Alice let out a quick sigh of relief, now knowing that the situation on the right could be at least temporarily stabilized. However, there still was the issue of the centre. By the way the fight was going, it would only be a matter of time before the Dark Territory's overwhelming energy and numbers would be able to create a gap straight through the middle.

 _Kirito is stationed near Fanatio, why isn't he doing anything?_

Alice sat atop Amayori, confused by Kirito's current inaction. She didn't think that he would wait until the very last minute to spring into action, and she also knew that though he didn't have as good of a vantage point as she did, he should still have some semblance of the flow of the battle. However, she had no choice but to trust his judgement, whether that would be for better or worse. Eventually, she spotted movement from his direction, and smiled knowing that potentially their strongest fighter had finally made his move.

Now knowing that the scales would likely begin to tip in their favour, Alice shifted her attention back towards the second line of the Dark Territory's forces. Being on the back foot would force them to either send reinforcements, or pull back to regroup. Obviously, the Human Empire would not pursue the Dark Territory into their own grounds; they were already at enough of a disadvantage with their numbers inferiority, and breaking apart their tight-knit defensive formation to go on the offensive was undoubtedly the worst thing to do. So whenever the Dark Territory retreated, so too would the Human Empire. The lines would be swapped, those who had been fighting on the front lines would be given a chance to rest and recover, and maybe new strategies could be thought up. As much as many of the knights wished to venture into the heart of the enemy to strike a devastating blow, they all knew that doing so would not only mean certain death for themselves, but could also be the first in a sequence of steps leading towards the fall of the Great Eastern Gate.

Movement from directly below her once again caught her attention. Eldrie's forces were beginning to be surrounded, and he was frantically shouting orders to defend their flank. He needed help, and that help needed to come fast. If his troops were surrounded, then Petula at the left-most edge of the field would likely lose her entire unit as well. With goblins pouring in constantly, she could not close the gap between them to seal off the flank, breaking apart the two even further. Alice turned around in the air, looking for Renri, who should have been stationed somewhere around Eldrie. She could see his troops clearly, but he himself was nowhere to be found. And without their leader, they simply stood there, anxiously glancing at one another, then back to the battlefield ahead of them. But there was still no movement, as none dared to do anything without the express approval of their leader.

Then, she finally saw what she was looking for. The rear line of the army was beginning to shift. Not just the humans, but also the Dark Territory. Both rear lines were beginning to move forward towards the battlefield. Integrity Knight Kaito had evidently decided that he had seen enough, and moved to confront the Dark Territory in the gap that they had opened up between Eldrie and Petula. Like a spear, he shot forward, with the soldiers in his unit not far behind, as they slammed into the Dark Territory. However, these experienced adversaries of theirs were well trained and under good leadership. Quickly, a large portion of them turned to face Kaito and their other on-rushers, bracing themselves to receive them.

But from above, Alice could see that it was a trap – they had actually thinned out their center, so a natural pincer would be formed, trapping Kaito who stood at the front. It was extremely well disguised, however, and anyone with a ground level view would not be able to tell that this was bait. Gritting her teeth, she kept her eyes glued to the left wing, hoping that Kaito would realize his enemies' intentions before it was too late. If he didn't, then there would almost be no chance of winning this battle.

As the battle stood, Alice realized that this was likely the most opportune time for the Dark Territory to unleash their Dark Arts onto the battlefield. Being able to take out not only the front line, but also a unit from the second line would mean nearly instant victory for their forces. Knowing this, Alice peeled her eyes away from the battle on the left, turning her attention towards what lay directly in front of her – the vast expanses of barren Dark Territory land, now teeming with soldiers from every corner of that land. At last, she could see movement in the Dark Arts users. They had finally decided that it was time to display their overwhelming force in the arts, and began moving forward, nearing the front lines of battle. When they had only 50 mel left between themselves and the front lines, they stopped and raised their hands as one.

From her seat high above the battlefield, Alice witnessed several phenomena. First, the chanting of the Dark Arts users in unison – everything was so uniform that she could even hear it from high in the sky; second, the still silence and inaction which occurred after the mages had finished chanting; and finally, the shocked faces they carried when they realized that their spells had failed to activate. Alice felt a smile creeping up on her lips, relishing in their confusion and anxiety. In that very moment, she felt like an evil villain laughing maniacally, now realizing that her plan had worked exactly as planned. As she looked down upon the poor souls who were about to suffer through the last moments of their lives, she steeled her nerves, promising herself and everyone on the ground below that she would not fail.

It was now the time for the ultimate weapon to be released. Shutting her eyes and praying to the gods, she began chanting the art which would allow her to single-handedly turn the tides of the battle. Alice knew that it would be herself who shouldered the sin of robbing so many of their lives, with the heavy task of protecting her own kind. She turned around and moved her hand over the silver sphere sitting beside her on Amayori's back, caressing it and feeling the pressure pulsating through its very surface. As large as it was, nearly three mel in diameter, there still was a limit to how much it could hold inside.

"Bloom, flowers! _Enhance armament!_ "

Her shout awakening her divine instrument, the Osthmanthus Blade broke into countless small petals, each of which Alice could individually control. Then, she undid the straps holding the sphere in place on Amayori's back, and gave it a gentle push as it tumbled to the side off of her back. Controlling the golden yellow swarm, she caught the sphere on the petals, adjusting it until it was tilted in a certain direction, with a certain point directed diagonally downwards at the Dark Arts users.

 _Alignment… set._

Drawing in a breath, her ears tuned out all sound, and her eyes focused solely on the silver sphere in front of her. As her other senses dimmed to make way for the intense concentration she required to deliver the simple command required release the art, she finally uttered a single sentence.

" _Burst element._ "

It was an incantation far too short and plain for an art which could display such terrifying power. Alice herself thought as much, but it was the nature of the art she had been able to create with Fanatio's help. Using the basis of the Heaven Piercing Sword, and how it acted as a mirror reflecting Solus' beams, she was able to create this monstrosity in front of her. By absorbing every single last drop of Sacred Power in the vicinity, she was able to gather up a tremendous amount of energy. Not only that, she completely depleted all the resources in this area – when the Dark Arts users tried to chant their own arts, it became impossible for them to generate anything, as there simply was no power to draw from in the air around them. They were left barren and naked without a single spell activated, exactly as she had hoped.

The issue behind the technique lay in storing the gathered energy, as the laws of nature would never allow for so much to be condensed in such a small space. Taking the concept of the Heaven Piercing Sword, as well as the technique she had used in her fight against Kirito, Alice was able to craft a sphere of mirrors. Endlessly bouncing around, the rays of luminous elements could be contained within the sphere, dying to be let out at a moment's notice, straining the structure to its limits. One specific spot of the sphere was just a bit thinner, only by five one-thousandth of a mel, which allowed Alice to control the point from which the immense energy could be ejected.

Focusing the immense amount of light and heat from the countless exploding luminous elements onto that one spot, the silver film and glass liquified into a beautiful crimson red, emanating a deep glow that everyone on the ground could probably spot. But Alice could spare no part of her concentration to look down at anyone who could be admiring the sight above them. Carefully, she kept the beam ejecting from the sphere pointed at a constant point, making sure that it would not spiral out of control, so that it would not spew its contents onto the wrong side of the battlefield.

As she strained while controlling each individual petal of the Osthmanthus Blade, the ground beneath her erupted. An explosion reaching high into the sky, winds buffeting Alice to the point where she nearly fell of Amayori's back. Instantly, she lost control of the glowing orb which she had so desperately kept steady. The beam tilted into the sky, before finally running out of luminous elements within. Alice was unable to see as the beam had temporarily blinded her, and it seemed to be the same for Amayori as Alice felt herself tumble through the sky. Finally, her dragon regained balance, beat her wings, and Alice's eyes somewhat regained their capabilities.

For a few moments, she sat on Amayori's back in tense silence, not sure what scene would greet her when her eyes completely recovered. Her ears also continued to ring from the vibrations caused by the explosion, so two of her senses had been robbed. She could feel Amayori growl, but did not have any idea what that meant. Alice knew she had no choice but to be patient until her senses returned to her, though on the inside she was desperate to know what the result of her attack had been.

At last, they returned. Both her eyesight and hearing had been restored at once, and she finally bore witness to the destruction she had caused. Yes, she was looking at _hell_. A massive crater had been formed in the ground where the beam had initially struck. It was an explosion of epic proportions, tearing the already broken land until it was completely unrecognizable. Fire burned on things that Alice did not even realize were flammable. The dirt, bodies, swords, armour, rocks – all ablaze on the ground around the crater. Within the crater remained… essentially nothing. The ground had been burnt to a charred black, as if it had been covered in coals. There was no semblance that there had been any life in that place.

On the top edge of the crater, a thin line extended into the distance, deep into the Dark Territory. Alice let out a sigh of relief, glad that when she had lost control, she had not injured any of her own people. Instead, she watched the tip of a mountain begin crumbling, evidence that the beam which had exited from the sphere had been powerful enough to destroy almost anything.

But finally, Alice was aware of the destruction she had caused. None of those from the Dark Territory who had been on the ground had any chance of defending themselves from this attack. It was executed without any honour, ripping their lives from their own grasps, not even letting them have any chance to protect themselves from it. This… this was terrible. As an Integrity Knight, she was supposed to fight with honour, with pride. But she could feel no delight in this act; she only felt disgust at herself. She had robbed the lives of so many, not even giving them a chance to be buried and given the proper rites as they passed on. All that was left of them… no, there was absolutely nothing left of them. Only simple scorch marks could indicate that there used to be something here, in a place, at a time. No indication of who or what lay there, only the residue of a living being.

She silently vowed never to do this again. Just as Kirito had promised to never again distort the rules of this world to prevent someone from dying, she too promised herself that this weapon of mass destruction could never be used again. Alas, there would never be another situation in this war that would allow for such a technique to be used – it was only possible due to the residual Sacred Power left here on the outskirts of the Great Eastern Gate, as well as the insane amount of time she allowed for herself to gather the resources necessary for this colossal act. Neither friend nor foe could ever use a technique as cruel as this one to try gaining the advantage in this battle. But still, she felt dismayed that they were forced into a situation where this was deemed to be the only possible solution to even have a chance of victory. That was the true terror of the danger which was the Dark Territory. Without resorting to an underhanded method like this, the soldiers of the Human Empire may have been the ones to end up as residues on the ground, like brushstrokes on a canvas.

But with this act, she had committed genocide. She had already promised to carry all the burdens of this sinful act on her own shoulders. But she never realized how heavy the souls of others, though not even human, would weigh. As she descended back to the ground, it felt as if she was carrying an enormous weight above her shoulders, or even holding up the entire sky. She no longer wanted to remember what had just transpired minutes ago, but it was completely inescapable, its evidence filling all of her senses. Having seen the destruction that had occurred behind them, the Dark Territory troops which had been on the front lines had quickly retreated, avoiding the smoldering crater as well as the burning outskirts. As she got closer to the surface, Alice was able to notice the writhing creatures on all sides of the crater – creatures that could barely be named as survivors.

The front-line troops of the Dark Territory felt the same as well, bypassing those squirming on the ground, with some even reaching out their swords and ending their misery. Today, they had witnessed a cruelty of warfare which they had never experienced before. Alice couldn't even imagine the shock and disgust they held within their hearts. Tomorrow, those of the Dark Territory would surely return to batter the front lines of the Human Army, with a renewed vigor, intensity, and cruelty. If there were any of the Human Empire taken as prisoners of war, then those would likely be tortured to death just for their entertainment. What would the Dark Territory do on the second day…

Because of their retreating enemies, the front line of the Human Army could finally take a rest, breathing a collective sigh of relief. Though they were damaged, and with some units suffering significant losses, they were all holding up. The lines of the battle had not shifted much since the fighting had begun, which was a good thing, as it indicated that they were able to weather the assault by the Dark Territory, at least to a certain degree. The left and right flanks, under Petula and Scheta respectively, though unable to assist due to their enemies isolating them from the rest of the army, had still managed to serve as major distractions, reducing the number of enemies that the main army had to fight. Though they had been in perilous situations, the aftermath of Alice's attack had ended their danger, and they were able to regroup with the rest of the army. However, the main lines, especially the two sides, had been more seriously battered. Eldrie on the left, and Deusolbert on the right, had both been under pressure, and their formations were somewhat askew, their shape distorting into a semi-circle. Though Fanatio's troops in the center had been pushed back the most out of all the front-line units, they were still able to keep proper spacing and hold out. Of course, Kirito's support had come eventually, and he had been able to prevent them from crumbling even further.

The bodies littering the ground finally came into clear view as Alice approached the ground. It wasn't just those of the Dark Territory who lay there lifeless, many of the fallen had been those of the Human Empire. But at least these people could be given the proper respects they deserved for giving their lives for the sake of their homeland. Even those of the Dark Territory could be buried peacefully, for believing in the dream that they had coveted for so many years, unlike their fellows who had fallen at the hands of Alice's aerial attack.

Looking around, she spotted some girls she was familiar with. It was the two girls who had come to meet her the day she had met Kirito and Eugeo. The two girls had carried the two swordsmen's swords, bravely presenting themselves to her as an Integrity Knight. Since that day, she had a good impression of the two girls, who were willing to do anything for those whom they cared for. She felt no surprise seeing them as one of the Swordcraft Academy volunteers, as she had already known that they would be one of the first to offer up their lives for this cause.

When she landed, Alice nimbly hopped off Amayori's back, petting her neck, acknowledging her for a job well done today. Despite the fact that Alice had not experienced any fighting today, Amayori had been tasked with staying in the air, carrying not only her rider but also the massive metal sphere which contained all the power necessary to destroy the Dark Arts users. Alice then trotted over to where the two girls were huddled, thoroughly confused as to why they were out in the open fields among the bodies strewn on the dirt. The girls had not noticed her approach, and she continued to step towards them without raising her voice and calling out to them. Carefully watching her step as she slowly neared them, she finally caught sight of what they were standing around. A body, just like the hundreds of others lying on the ground motionless, carrying an all too familiar black sword, one that Alice herself had clashed against in the past. A sword that managed to save her from certain death, along with the boy who was its wielder.

Someone who Alice thought would never fall, had actually crumbled on the very first day of battle.

* * *

 **A/N**

You know that feeling when you get absolutely hooked back on something that you were into when you were younger, and you wonder why you're enjoying yourself so much? Well, that's been me for the past week or so. Somehow, I ended up playing through old Pokemon games (like, they're so old fairies don't even exist yet). I had no business enjoying my time so much while playing these games, since for some of them, like Diamond and Platinum, I've already played both at least five times through when I was a kid.

So yeah, that's where most of my free time went. But somehow, I still managed to have some time to write this chapter. As for why this one's a bit shorter than normal, I'm sure some of that can be attributed to the countless hours of Pokemon I've been playing, but it also just ended up as a shorter one. It didn't make sense for me to squeeze what would be happening in the next chapter here in this one, so I just went ahead and ended it even though it seemed to be somewhat shorter.

But anyways, thanks for sticking around and see you next time!


	9. Chapter 8 - Denial

_**Chapter 8 – Denial**_

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11/8/380

* * *

My blurry eyes really didn't give me anything. I saw some light, but I had no idea where I was. Neither did my ears – I heard muffled sounds, like metal scraping against itself. Was I still on the battlefield? Instantly, adrenaline soared through my entire body, awakening it from its previously dazed state. I shot upright, as a sheet of fabric fell off my body and onto the ground. Seeing a shadow approaching me, I hurriedly dodged it, rolling away from whoever my assailant was. As I did, I noticed the strange feeling below me. It was not the hard dirt that was the battleground around the Great Eastern Gate, but rather something soft. I must have fallen into some sort of quicksand. However, as I rolled, I encountered no resistance, which was completely unlike quicksand. With the momentum I carried, I fell down, landing on something hard and firm.

Pain shot up through my chest. Doubling over in pain, I found out that my body was no longer responding to me. I caught sight of the shadow approaching me once again, and my body began to panic. With my heart practically beating _through_ my chest, I tried to stand so I could once again escape. As the shadow neared, my eyes finally began to clear, and it morphed into a person. My hands struggling to gain traction on the ground, I was gradually met with more information coming from my own eyes – shoulder length brown hair, paired with turquoise eyes which looked at me with deep concern. My surroundings came into view as well – I was inside a tent, not out on a battlefield. Gradually, the gears in my head began to turn into the right places. It was Ronie who stood before me, greatly concerned for my own well-being after my little episode.

The tension progressively left my muscles, and the adrenaline flowed out of my bloodstream. The beating of my heart slowed, beginning to return to the pace at which it was before. Still, the pain in my chest did not subside; clearly, the fact that I had fallen had aggravated something. Seeing that I had finally calmed myself down, Ronie reached out her hand to me, with a worry-stricken look still plastered on her face. It must have been a shock to her – for me to wake up, then suddenly thrash around like I was being electrocuted.

"Kirito-senpai, are you alright?"

Even if I were blind, the concern laced through her voice would have been so clear to me. She must have been waiting a long time for me to wake up from whatever had put me to sleep in the first place. Then, I suddenly realized that I had no recollection of what had sent me into this state – something so similar to what had happened when I had first woken up in the Underworld, with no knowledge of how I ended up in yet another virtual world. Fortunately, this time I had someone to ask, who could fill me in on the missing details.

I took a few breaths before beginning to talk, as I waited for the pain in my midsection to slowly fade away. The only sounds I could probably make at the moment were wheezing sounds, but Ronie seemed to understand the difficulty of my situation and remained silent while waiting for me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I really couldn't see or hear anything when I got up, and then I thought I was still fighting on the battlefield. My body just reacted out of fear. Sorry about, you know, freaking out."

Ronie had already noticed how I was cradling my rib area, as she cautiously helped me to my feet, bracing my back so that my chest cavity wouldn't do anything stupid as she helped hoist me to my feet. After that, she walked me back to a bed – ahh, that was the soft thing which I had thought was quicksand. The brain can do wonders when it has absolutely no idea what's going on. Helping me mount the bed, she lay me back down above the covers, and then stepped away.

"How are you feeling? Is there any pain?"

Going off of that statement, I must have gotten hurt on the battlefield some time ago, and it was probably something related to my chest area. Problem was, I couldn't remember what had happened to me, so I didn't actually know if the pain was from me falling off my bed, or from an injury I had previously sustained.

Trying to recall anything that happened in the past was a bit difficult. Of course I remembered the Dark Territory attacking after the Great Eastern Gate crumbled, but whatever came after was a bit fuzzy. I remembered being assigned to be the leader of a support unit, with both Ronie and Tiese having joined it. I also remembered backing up Fanatio. Then, the Dark Territory attacked, and then it fades to black for me. Perhaps I had gone in to support Fanatio and gotten injured somehow?

"Well, my chest hurts, but I'm not sure if that's from me falling off the bed. Did I get injured? I don't remember anything after the battle began…"

Ronie sucked in a sharp breath of air before slowly releasing it. She evidently wasn't ready to find out that I had also experienced some slight amnesia. No doubt she wouldn't want to be the one breaking this news to me, but at this point, I just wanted to know the full story, and I didn't care who it came from.

"After the battle began, Integrity Knight Fanatio's troops were being pushed back, so our unit went forward to support them. When we were retreating, a giant goblin came and attacked you, striking you in the chest with its club. But you managed to fight it off, and then you fell unconscious afterwards. At almost the same time, Integrity Knight Alice unleashed her art, and the Dark Territory retreated. Tiese and I found you on the ground, and Integrity Knight Alice helped us move you back to the medical tent."

So that's how it all happened… I felt somewhat ashamed that I managed to get myself seriously injured on the first day, but what mattered was that we held the lines. Along with that, Alice had managed to release the art she had been holding. Hopefully, it produced the result we were all hoping for, so I went ahead and asked Ronie about it.

"Um… I'm not sure. The time I spent with Integrity Knight Alice only consisted of us moving you to a safe area. After that, she left for the command tent, but told me to call her when you awoke. Speaking of which…"

"Yeah, maybe that would be a good idea. I'm not sure how much I can actually move around with my body right now, so I guess it'd be best for me to wait here."

Ronie smiled, before nodding and turning away. Before she reached the entrance, she paused, slightly turning her head back towards me.

"I'm really glad you woke up, Kirito-senpai."

And before I could say anything, Ronie headed out of the tent, leaving me in a slightly stunned silence. The way her voice had cracked, the way it had tapered off as she said my name – suddenly, I felt incredibly responsible for worrying all those around me by being so careless, suffering such a serious injury. But if it was for the war, then I'd do it. It didn't even have anything to do with how my real body wouldn't get damaged in this place; I had been cared for and loved by all those in this world who lived out their lives here, and I had grown so attached to this place. Even if mortality here translated to the Real World, I would _not_ change my actions one bit. After all, if it was a battle with death directly involved, then I had experienced two years of that myself.

I rested my head back on the pillow slowly, taking care not to aggravate my ribs. As I ran my hand lightly over the area where all the pain came from, the area still felt incredibly tender. At the very least, it seemed that I would be able to move around somewhat, but it probably wouldn't be the best idea to push myself too hard. If I wanted to be able to make a difference on the battlefield, I needed to make sure that I wouldn't be a liability out there. And there wasn't too much for me to worry about. The Integrity Knights, the Human Defence Army, as well as the countless volunteers were all capable of holding their own out there. I just had to trust that they could do that until I could return.

In silence, I sat on the bed, not knowing what to do. My body, though not physically tired, was still in constant pain. I didn't want to take my chances by moving around excessively, and simply sat tight. A few minutes passed before I heard anything around me. Finally, the sound of boots scraping against the dirt reached my ears. Before I knew it, the cloth at the front of the tent flew open, revealing an Alice who was obviously out of breath. I managed a weak smile seeing her disheveled state, as she had probably rushed to the tent upon hearing that I had awoken.

"I heard you did a pretty good job up in the air. Seems like it all worked out fine."

Trying to crack a joke to let her know I was at least somewhat fine, I couldn't help but notice the tension in her face when I mentioned her feat. It was only there for an instant however, as that expression gave way for a more concerned look.

"No matter about that. How are you feeling, Kirito? Can you move properly?"

"I mean, I feel as good as someone who got smashed in the ribs. Every breath I take is somewhat painful, but other than that I think I'm alright. Seems that I'll be stuck to this bed for a while though."

As much as I tried to joke about this, I could tell that my injury was quite a serious one. It was lucky that I had managed to get off so easily, probably in part thanks to how Alice's attack had driven off the enemy before they could do any more damage to me while I was down. And I certainly had to thank whoever had helped carry me here to the medical tent, which probably consisted of at least Ronie, Tiese, and Alice.

"We administered a potent healing catalyst for you, which will help speed up the healing greatly. It will drain your energy, so I advise you to stay in bed while it works its course. Hopefully, you will be fit enough to return to the battlefield in one or two days, but please don't rush yourself. The Dark Territory has already lost their biggest advantage over us – the Dark Arts users are no more. We will be able to hold them even without you and your unit. So do not fret about us, we Integrity Knights will surely hold them off."

Everything that Alice said seemed like music to my ears. I had anticipated being sidelined for even a week to recover from this, but if what Alice said was true, then the catalyst I received would help me return much quicker than I had originally hoped. And to top it off, the Dark Arts users had been eliminated. This band of humans who lived on the other side of the End Mountains were the ones who could decimate us with ease, which is why the plan to have Alice basically point a laser beam through their troops existed in the first place. Judging by what she said, the plan must have been extremely successful, if the Dark Arts users were "no more" as she herself said. Still, there were other units we had to be extremely wary of, but the ones who were most likely to eradicate our defensive schemes had been instead shattered by the ultimate attack from the female knight in front of me.

Even then, when she talked about it, I noticed the tension returning to Alice's face. She had originally been fearful that she wouldn't be able to carry out this plan with her skill level, so she should've been elated that the plan had actually worked exactly as it was planned to be. Still now, the aura of tension surrounding her body was so clearly evident, it was starting to make me feel the same way. As much as she tried to hide it, it was impossible for her to completely bury it.

Alice looked up, seeing my face and understanding that I had felt the tension emanating from her body. In response, she lowered her face, looking away from me. She let out of a drawn-out breath – a soft one which lacked any vigour.

"Did something happen? Did something go wrong?"

Alice turned her eyes back up to me, and I was shocked to find wells of tears building up in the corners of her eyes. I sat in stunned silence, before finally noticing that my mouth was half agape, so I hurriedly slammed my mouth shut and grit my teeth.

"... Didn't know… be… this."

It was uttered so softly that I could barely hear half of it. I perked up my ears, wanting to even strain my body forward to get closer just so I could catch what Alice was saying. Of course, the pain in my midsection prevented me from moving forward any more than a few centimetres.

"They never had a chance. My art completely eradicated them. There isn't even anything left of them. _I_ have reduced them all to nothing. Never will they be buried properly, never will their families ever gaze upon their forms again. Honour… that is what we knights are taught to have. We fight honourably, we live honourably, we die honourably. But what was it that I did? I cannot imagine anything more dishonourable than robbing thousands of their ability to fight, without even giving them a chance to fight for that right."

Alice paused, but her eyes remained glued to the floor of the tent. I was somewhat surprised at what she was tense about. Originally, I thought that something had gone awry when she had executed the plan, that she had just nearly been able to achieve her ultimate goal. I never imagined that she would be having second thoughts about the strategy which she had so excellently executed.

But ultimately, I understood where she was coming from. The simple act of using a mass-scale art to wipe out the enemy without even allowing them to fight back was, simply put, the epitome of dishonour. Alice herself was probably caught up in the rush of having to put the entire defensive effort on her back that she never thought about the implications of what she was about to do. But when the dust finally settled, the only thing that was left was ash, not even metal. She saw what she was truly capable of doing, and it disgusted her, leaving her in a questioning state, wondering if she had done the right thing.

"We say that this was the only way; the only way to win the war. Was there really no other way? Are we prophets? Did we probe into the future to determine that this was truly the only method of winning the battle? No, because we are all powerless to do that. The future is and will always remain a mystery. Instead, we all already jumped to the conclusion that this really was the only possible solution to ensure that we would not be destroyed. This, at the cost of complete and utter genocide. What is it that we are even fighting for? As a knight, this fight is no longer honourable. I even hesitate to call it a fight. It is simply… meaningless bloodshed."

Alice finally turned her eyes back up to me, standing up straighter than before, letting her piercing eyes run themselves through my soul. Eyes filled with doubt, anger, frustration; a myriad of emotions clouded her eyes, not letting me see through to her own heart.

"The ones we are against fight for the sake of themselves, that they may be able to gain the lands which they feel have been wrongfully forbidden from them. We ourselves fight so that we may protect our lands and our people, that our enemies may not steal what rightfully belongs to us. Were the gods the ones who decided which lands belonged to which people? If so, why should we Underworldians be fighting amongst ourselves, and not fighting the gods themselves? We gain nothing from this. Our people die, those of the Dark Territory die. Everyone is at a loss, no one is at a gain. No matter which side is able to ultimately impose their own desires, there is no winner in the end. A thousand years of hatred will spawn a thousand more; an unending cycle which not only refuses to end, but also escalates."

I sat in my bed, utterly shocked at the words I heard. Against the creators she had only recently learned about from myself, she was willing to go to the lengths that she may band together with those of the Dark Territory to battle against Rath, the gods who made this place. I took a few moments, pausing to take what she had said to heart. Sure, she was absolutely correct. Rath were the ones who had decided which people would populate which areas of the Underworld. They never had any ulterior motivations; to them, this was simply a very interesting science experiment. Just as no one worried about which rats would be used as control subjects, and which ones would be subject to extreme conditions, Rath cared not for the individuals in this world, but only the results that they could gather from letting this world be.

"You can fight against them all you want, but they aren't even interested in your challenge. It would be a waste of your effort, to get them to turn their eyes on this world. But maybe _you_ have a chance. After all, there are those on the other side who are interested in you, and maybe you could use that to your advantage. Problem is, there's absolutely no way for us to contact them right now. We can only talk to them at the Central Cathedral, or at this other place somewhere in the Dark Territory called the World's End Altar. Going there would mean abandoning everyone here, and we know that both you and I would never even think about doing that. So for now, let's focus here, make sure that we don't lose, then go and fight our next fight."

I tried to refocus Alice onto the thing that mattered the most – beating the Dark Territory and making sure that the people we were protecting could live in safety and peace. As much as I also wanted to personally strangle Kikuoka and the rest of his gang, it was simply impossible for me to do that right now. This was as much a reminder to myself as it was a reminder to her. I saw the fire in Alice's eyes receding by just a bit; it would be impossible to completely diverge her attention away from Rath and those on the other side, but I at least hoped that she would be able to control her anger for the time being.

"I understand your words, Kirito. I will strive to defend this place to the best of my abilities. Let us all protect the Human Empire together."

I smiled hearing her say those words, and she returned the smile to me.

"By the way, what time is it? The tent really doesn't help with that."

"It is the night of the eighth day of the eleventh month."

 _The eighth day? I guess that's not too bad, we only started on the eighth so I've only been out for a few hours… No! We started on the seventh!_

Unbelievably, I had already been unconscious for more than 24 hours, and during that time the Dark Territory had surely attacked again. As the moment, I couldn't hear any sounds coming from beyond my tent. So at the very least, we were in somewhat of a peaceful period. It was night, so the attacks would have likely ceased since fighting in the dark without technology to allow for night vision would be idiotic for both parties involved. So at the very least, the lines have been held even without my help.

I shook off my surprise as well as the feeling of slight disappointment considering how useless I had been in the battle up to this point, instead focusing on Alice's earlier words. She said that it would take another day or two before I could be back near full strength, so for the next while, there was absolutely nothing I could do, unless I wanted to end up back here, or even worse, logged out because I had died over on this side.

"How's my unit? What happened to them during this time when I've been sleeping on this bed?"

"Your unit did not participate on the second day of fighting. Instead, we shortened the distance between Eldrie's and Fanatio's units, so that it would be more difficult for the enemy to push through. In the end, it didn't matter as much, since the Dark Territory had a much weaker offensive. It must have been the aftereffects of my art; their leaders are probably having second thoughts about their approach to the battle, and so they didn't pull any significant moves."

It was at least somewhat reassuring knowing that they didn't have to exhaust themselves on the second day, but I still wasn't sure if they suffered any serious damage in the aftermath of the first day's battle. Since I had gotten myself knocked out, I obviously couldn't have helped protect anyone straying out of line, but hopefully they all remembered their training and reminders to stay in formation and never wander away. Since the state of my unit was something that Alice likely did not know, I decided not to pursue the topic, waiting instead to ask Ronie when she returned to my tent.

I nodded my head, acknowledging Alice's words. It certainly was logical if the second day of fighting was lighter than the first. Oftentimes, this would be a natural part of the flow of war, where the first day would be filled with excitement, fear, anxiousness, and all those other emotions which could cloud one's decision making. But by the second day, things usually have calmed down, and those on the front lines will have already experienced what warfare is like, and so everything ends up slowing down just a notch.

"That's good news. Hopefully the third day is more of the same. Considering that neither side can cut off the other's supply chain, there's no point in trying to prolong the fight, but also no point in trying to rush. Let's just take each day as it comes. The Dark Territory will make their moves when they feel that it's necessary to, and we just have to make sure that we're always prepared for whatever they could possibly throw at us."

Alice nodded, before speaking up in response to my own words.

"You speak the truth. I find it slightly worrisome at how well-organized the different parts of their army are. We had already found out that each race had trained themselves up to a nearly unrecognizable point, but seeing how well the different races work together is truly frightening. One of the few things that is known about the Dark Territory concerns the massive amount of infighting which occurs between races. Because of that, it would make sense to believe that each race would act as their own army, not being able to cooperate even in the direst of times."

Alice shifted her eyes to a board placed near the far corner of the tent, which I realized was a map of the Great Eastern Gate and its surrounding areas.

"What we have seen so far is that all the different armies begin to attack and retreat at the same time. Somehow, it seems as if their chain of command extends further than the commanders of each army. If someone has managed to unite the Ten Tribes of the Dark Territory, then maybe this individual will be our most fearsome opponent. Peoples and creatures who have long hated each other for eons, bonding together under the leadership of one. Either they have power rivalling the highest minister herself, or their schemes are thousands of layers thick."

As she mentioned this, I thought back to the fact that Rath was being attacked by some external foe. Would it be possible for one of those people to log into the Underworld? Well, theoretically it was possible, as I knew that the Rath headquarters contained more than one functioning STL. But if that were the case, then it would mean that not only had the entire lab been overrun, but that my real body was likely surrounded by whoever this enemy was on all sides, meaning that they could end my connection to the Underworld at any time.

This didn't seem very logical though, as if this were the case, I would have likely been pulled back into my world a long time ago, even before the battle began. The virtual world is just about the only place I can make a difference, being a relatively unassuming guy in the Real World. Still, the thought that someone from the outside might be interfering with this world could not leave my mind. I immediately thought back to that night when I saw the lights off to the east. The first thought that came into my mind was that someone from Rath was logging in, but could it be that it was someone from this other party, logging in and spawning somewhere in the Dark Territory, with the intent of taking control, then leading the attack on the Human Empire?

These musings definitely made at least a little bit of sense, but right now there was no way for me or anyone else to prove whether or not they were actually true. Then only way would be to do the checking ourselves – fighting through the Dark Territory's army to arrive at their headquarters. Considering how much effort we exerted in a defensive stance, this option was definitely not viable.

"Even if there is a commander behind all their actions, it doesn't change our goals one bit. We still need to hold this pass, not letting anyone from the Dark Territory through. The enemy having a commander only makes our tasks a whole lot harder, but it doesn't make it impossible. We have the strongest fighters in all the Underworld, so there's nothing to worry about. Let's do our best to protect the lives and dreams of those in all four empires of the Human Empire."

I was beginning to feel drowsy, as if I had been awake for about three days straight. It was probably the medicine working its course, so I would be better off sleeping than doing anything else. The exhaustion boiled over into a massive yawn, which caught Alice off guard as her head jolted upwards to see the scene in front of her. My face must have carried an idiotic expression, as she tried to hold in her laughter when she looked at my face.

"It must be time for you to sleep, or else the medicine won't be able to do its job. I should also rest. Another long day of fighting will be upon us tomorrow."

It was only now, as tiredness began to overcome my body, that I noticed the same phenomenon wrapping Alice's body. We both needed rest, though for very different reasons, so we said our farewells before each returning to deep slumber. Before I knew it, I had already fully surrendered to the deep embrace of sleep.

* * *

11/10/380

* * *

Somehow, I managed to sleep for over 25 hours, only waking up a few times before falling back into a slumber. As I awoke for now the fifth time since sustaining my injury, I felt different. The last traces of fatigue had been washed out of my body, leaving me awake and alert to the limits. Running a hand over my ribs, I wasn't even able to tell that I had recently injured this area of my body. The potion that was administered to me worked to perfection, leaving me completely pain free, albeit with a _lot_ of rest.

I slowly moved myself out of my bed, firmly planting my feet on the ground. My feet feeling the coolness of the earth beneath the fabric, I brought myself to the opening of the tent after putting my shoes on. Brushing aside the fabric, my eyes were met with the sight of the sky barely turning the deepest shade of blue. It was still early enough that not many were awake; other than myself, I would only expect those working in the mess tents to be up.

Not knowing what else to do, I stepped outside, taking a walk through the streets of camp. Seeing as there was no one to talk to at the moment, I headed to headquarters, wanting to take a look at the state of the current battle. Of course, it would be nice to tell Ronie, Tiese, and Alice that I had woken up, but I decided to let them enjoy the last bits of their rest. Holding open the fabric, I noticed not only the lit candle, but also the few people gathered around the central table. The incredible weapons they had holstered by their sides immediately told me that these were the Integrity Knights.

They evidently did not expect to have a visitor at such an early time in the morning, as their curious faces turned around to face me soon after I had stepped into the tent. Seeing me out of my bed for the first time in a few days, some immediately ceased their conversations, turning their attention to me.

"Hey Kirito, seems like you've finally woken up. Sweet dreams?"

As usual, Bercouli felt no need to be serious, greeting me with some joking banter. Unfortunately for him, I had slept so soundly that I couldn't remember any of the dreams that I might have had during the twenty-plus hours I had spent in the land of fantasy.

"Can't even remember any of my dreams; that's how well the medicine worked. I feel a lot better now, and nothing hurts anymore, so I'll take those as great signs."

"How is the injury to your chest? Would it be possible for you to return to the battlefield today?"

Alice asked, concerned about my well-being, though still not wanting to force me into a position where I could be injured again. Though the Human Empire Defence Army was able to hold off the attacks from the Dark Territory for two days without my presence on the field, it would fare us all better if I could return to the front. With me missing, our side would be lacking in some serious power, as I was definitely much more capable than most of the soldiers who were here. After all, I was the ones who had trained many of them.

"I feel pretty good! There shouldn't be any issue with my body, especially not the place where I was injured. Assuming you all let me, I can definitely get back to leading my unit. And of course, I'll be much more careful so that this doesn't happen to me again. Now that would certainly look _terrible_ for me…"

"That's a good start. Here's to hoping that you don't get injured again anytime soon, because we're going to need all the strength that we can get from everyone who can provide it."

Bercouli said this, then turned back towards the map placed on the table at the center of the tent. I inched closer so that I could see what was happening on the model battlefield. Skimming over it, I noticed the incredibly detailed map that served as the base of the whole model, as well as the many coloured pieces placed on the map. They were all scattered around, but none of them drifted far from where the gate used to be.

"How has the battle been for the past few days? No major changes, I would assume?"

"Yeah, you're right. Nothing much has changed; the lines haven't shifted much, and other than the Dark Arts users, neither side has lost significant numbers which would render their units obsolete. Now, the problem lies in some of the Dark Territory's units."

I scanned my eyes over the many red pieces on the board, all of which were significantly larger than even the largest blue piece. This was to be expected since each unit of the Dark Territory's army would vastly outnumber even the largest unit of the Human Empire. As they stood right now, there were seven of these blue pieces on the field, spread into two lines three abreast, with a singular unit spacing the two rows. I could notice nothing wrong with our enemies, as they seemed quite… normal. Nothing was out of place, and all units were accounted for. Before the battle began, our scouting showed that there were a total of eight individual forces within the Dark Territory's army, and now that Alice had destroyed the Dark Arts users, seven was the correct number to see.

Confused, I looked up at Bercouli, anxiously awaiting an explanation.

"So, Alice's attack ended up wiping out most of the Dark Arts users. The keyword here is _most_ , not _all_. There are still some who remain, probably including their leader. The two most worrying parts of the Dark Territory's army were the Dark Arts users themselves, as well as the flying minions under their control – the same ones as those on the outside of the Central Cathedral. Those haven't been unleashed, but it's entirely unknown whether they have been destroyed along with the Dark Arts users, or if their leader can control them all alone. So we can't really count out the eighth piece that still might be on the field."

"For the past two days, we have been fighting as if they could still make an appearance. So far, they have not shown themselves, but it would be foolish to ignore the possibility of their existence and appearance."

Alice chimed in, essentially reiterating Bercouli's worries about the supposedly destroyed Dark Arts unit. Bercouli's preparation, which utilized the strength of his Time Piercing Sword, created a net of deadly sword slashes in the air, like a maze of razor-sharp wires. With that, he had essentially sealed off the air, and anything wishing to fly into our airspace would be, quite literally, torn to shreds. Of course, releasing this art was extremely taxing on his sword and his body, but since it would require so much time and effort to take down and then set up the net again, he had planned on leaving it active until its use was fulfilled. It had already been decided that until he was freed from this art, he would remain stationary in the second line, awaiting the opportunity where his strength would be allowed to shine.

Even now, it was evident that the lack of sleep and requirement of total concentration over the past few days had drained him. Deep lines were etched into his face, as dark eyebags began to form underneath his eyes. The piercing gaze which he once held in his eyes was gradually being replaced by a look of exhaustion, and this would be the one time in which I hoped the enemy would attack soon. As it was right now, Bercouli was locking himself away, not allowing him to truly participate in the fighting. There wasn't any reason to think that the Dark Territory knew of this fact and was taking advantage of it, considering that only the Integrity Knights and myself were made aware of this.

"So if they attack today, then tomorrow we'll get you back in the line-up then, right? I assume all you've been doing so far is just standing there waiting for those flying monsters to come out, but every night you go home disappointed knowing that you'll have to wait for them again."

Bercouli shot me an annoyed look, and I knew I hit the mark right on the spot. No swordsman wished only to prepare for a threat; it would all feel like such a waste if the preparation was done, but the execution never came. For these past few days, Bercouli had been prepared, holding his preparation, waiting to swing down his sword in a show of brutal force. But I guessed that not even he could wait for much longer, even though it would indeed be a foolish decision to undo the art.

"No choice but to be patient. But maybe with you back out there, it could shift the tides of the battle in such a way that they feel like the minions _need_ to be used. We should make that our goal. Position ourselves in a way that invites them to send their minions forward, and then crush them in one fell swoop. Perhaps we can send out the dragons with the flanks, as we try reinforcing those areas of our line. In that way, the Dark Territory will see that the skies in the middle have cleared, and they would hopefully want to send out their flying troops to wreak havoc on our forces."

"That would not be a bad idea. We could arrange for that. Alice and I shall speak to the other Integrity Knights to relay this information to them."

Bercouli nodded at Fanatio who spoke that, who then exited the tent along with Alice. Bercouli took one more look at the map, then poked his head outside the tent, only to see the sky beginning to turn a lighter shade of blue.

"Solus is soon to be upon us in full force. Let's go get breakfast."

Silently, I nodded, following Bercouli to the mess hall for some food.

* * *

Out of habit, I grabbed the handle of my sword, my beautiful Night Sky Sword. It felt good to be back outside, with the wind blowing through my hair, causing a few dust storms to billow in no man's land. The sun had just begun to poke its head above the mountainous regions of the Dark Territory, allowing me to fully see our adversaries. With the Dark Territory remaining unmoving, we remained stationary as well, seeing no point going on the offensive.

Then suddenly, a shift in the wind had also indicated the beginning of the day's battle, with all fronts of the Dark Territory's army rushing forward, bellowing their war cries in a display of force. Without any fanfare, our front line had taken up their defensive positions, preparing themselves now for the fourth time. With Bercouli having to concentrate all his efforts on maintaining his art, he had no chance to move to the front lines. Because of that, Fanatio was forced to be the one leading the central unit on the front lines for all four days of battle so far. Some of her troops had been consistently swapped out with those from Bercouli's unit, but there still remained those who had fought for all three of the previous days, all in the thick of battle.

Today, the job of my unit was to help hers. Considering how exhausted some of the soldiers must be, and how my unit had been fresh off of two days rest, we would be a welcome sight. Even Rian and his unit, which was on the other side of Fanatio's unit, stood extremely close to the front lines, ready to jump in and secure the centre at a moment's notice.

With the battle raging on, I could sense that it was the right moment to jump in. The front lines had begun to cave in, and our presence was desperately needed. This time however, we did not act as an offensive force, looking to stick a stake into the side of the Dark Territory' army, but instead it was more important to secure up the front. It was the first time I had been in such an extended battle, not a short duel, but having to deal with a constant stream of enemies.

As I looked left and right while fighting, I saw soldiers fall – goblins being pierced by swords, pushed down by shields and then trampled by their own brethren; human helmets being smashed by clubs and maces, a jumbled red mess being all that was left inside. The more I experienced it, the more I realized how disgusting war truly was. Everyone who fell today would never have another chance to talk with their loved ones, would never take another step, would never see the sun's light again. With my own hands, I had taken the lives of numerous goblins. The frightened look in their eyes as they realized their time was up – these were the views which would haunt me forever. It brought me back to the time when I had killed those Laughing Coffin members in their hideout. The sickening feeling of killing another living being, human or not, was something which would never leave me no matter how often I did it. If there was ever a day where this feeling no longer bothered me, then it would mean that I had already lost my humanity, becoming someone who only cared to kill for the sake of taking lives.

I even had to watch some of those in my unit pass on. Those who I had eaten and laughed with, even those who had received training by my own hands. As much as it hurt to admit, there were even those who fell while still being unknown to me. As their leader, I could do nothing to protect them in the chaos of war. Not even being able to devote my attention to them at the time of their defeat as I had my own troubles to deal with, I could only catch a glimpse of their last moments out of the corner of my eyes.

For a long time, my eyes developed a severe case of tunnel vision. Other than the goblins directly in front of me, I could see nothing else. There were no orders to give, as our enemies did not bother moving strategically, only wishing to crush us with brute strength. Besides my own unit, I could not even get a glance at how Fanatio was doing. The swings of my sword had become hollow already; I had no passion and no drive as I brought my sword down over and over again, only wishing to get out of this confusion with my life still intact.

The hours raged on, and I had long forgotten why I was even here. Even though my senses were heightened by constantly being in a life-threatening situation, my mind had already dulled to the point where everything I was doing was out of instinct. The sun had blessed us all with a beautiful day, but on the ground, there was no beauty to be seen. There was only death, and it knew no boundaries, reaching out regardless of skill, race, gender, or size.

Suddenly, I felt drops of liquid hitting my head and my shoulders, even though the light of the sun still blazed strong, reflecting off armour and the tips of swords and spears. A little bit of rain wouldn't stop anyone, and it looked like no one would let the change in weather stop them from achieving their goal. But soon, I realized that the goblin I was currently fighting was bleeding profusely from every possible spot, despite the fact that I had not been able to land a single blow on him. I took a quick look around me, the shocking sight of every single person and goblin around me being covered head to toe in blood now being burned into my memory.

It wouldn't be possible for everyone here to be injured to _that_ degree – if they had let out so much blood, it wouldn't even be possible for them to stand. In fact, it didn't even seem like this was blood coming out from their own bodies, but instead it was as if they had bathed themselves in blood. As confusion began to spread among those in my unit, as well as the goblins we were fighting against, I began to spot shadows forming on the ground, rapidly growing in size. Looking up quickly, I was greeted by hundreds of _things_ falling from the sky.

The expression in English "raining cats and dogs" came to mind as I viewed a wondrous sight of these _things_ falling down to the ground. The first one landed, quickly followed by many others. But I had no more time to think, as bodies continued to rain onto the ground. Those with shields hurriedly covered themselves with those metal plates, and I placed my swords above my head, hoping to slice apart anything which would fall near to me. However, there were others who did not act quickly enough, being battered by the falling bodies, and falling to the ground themselves.

Finally, the rain of bodies ceased. The shadows stopped coming, and the plopping sounds of flesh striking dirt faded. When I blinked away the blood which was threatening to stream into my eyes, finally allowing me to see what lay before me, I knew instantly – the Dark Arts users had really sent forth their flying minions, and they had been cut down by Bercouli. The flying units had been denied entry, and the old man who was responsible for it all could finally join the fighting. I smiled, knowing that despite the cruelty of it all, we were one step closer to holding the Great Eastern Gate, not letting the Dark Territory enter into the lands which we had resolved ourselves to protect.

Confusion lay thick around the battlefield. Nearly all of those fighting had no idea that Bercouli had set up such a trap, so the sight of countless lifeless bodies littering the ground sparked terror in not only the goblins, but also our own soldiers. But I knew, as did the other Integrity Knights on the field. We had done it. The two things which posed the most threat to our success had been eliminated – the Dark Arts users, as well as the flying minions they controlled.

To my right, I heard a clear shout, slicing through the silent air.

"Crush them!"

Someone clad in purple armour raced forward, cutting down the dumbfounded goblins in front of her. The soldiers behind her quickly followed, letting out a defiant cry as they crashed into the goblin force. Silently, I raised my sword to the sky, lowering it and pointing it straight at the chest of the goblin in front of me, before bellowing out a cry and racing forward. The other soldiers of my unit quickly followed, as I heard their own cries raging alongside my own, as we all raced forward to cut down the enemies in front of us.

* * *

 **A/N**

Sometimes, the insane amount of distractions I manage to put myself through completely shocks me. Among playing old Pokemon games (still), watching playoff hockey, as well as watching boatloads of anime and reading another boatload of manga, I somehow still had the time to write this chapter.

I also realized that I never talked about the inspiration behind this whole story. Sure, you can point to SAO itself, being that I do build my story off of the events which happen in here. The particular events of Eugeo dying and Kirito becoming a vegetable also pushed me towards writing this. But at the end of the day, the true inspiration for this story is from a certain manga called Kingdom by Yasuhisa Hara. For anyone who doesn't know what it's about, the manga's loosely based on ancient Chinese history, in a period of time known as the "Warring States Period", and is essentially just war after war after war, with amazing visuals to go along with it. Seeing how battlefields are drawn, and how a war is described in a manga was really cool, and it made me realize how much I loved those individual intricacies. In a war, it's not just about the fighting, there's so many other things which feed into the whole story of the fight, and I really wanted to try my hand at that too.

But yeah, if I never read Kingdom, I don't think I would be sitting here writing this story. It's amazing how one thing can really lead to another through some weird relationships, but hey, that's just how life works. Anyways, I'll see you all in the next chapter!

P.S. If you're at all a bit interested in wars and stuff and want a complex interwoven story with a lot of fighting (and very badass characters), you should read Kingdom. 600+ chapters and still going strong weekly-ish~


	10. Chapter 9 - Hannibal

_**Chapter 9 – Hannibal**_

* * *

11/11/380

* * *

"Invert the strength of our forces, as the goblins did on the first day facing Kaito!"

"Tsk… don't remind me of that. Clever little bastards thinking they can outsmart me…"

"You've gotta admit, it was a smart move on their part. I would have never thought that they could have come up with a plan like that."

"Yeah, well if anyone's gonna be doing this, it's gotta be me! I have to get my revenge on those slimy little beasts."

I sat in the background as this completely useless argument unfolded in front of me. Kaito was only looking to redeem himself after getting beaten relatively badly on the first day when the goblins he was facing used their brains to outsmart his mindless head-on assault. In the end, he had, just like me, been saved by Alice's attack which caused the entire goblin front line to retreat. But needless to say, he had lost a lot of face that day, and evidently, he was eager to get it back.

To me, his useless pride seemed idiotic to me. After only these few days of fighting, I had grown completely numb to it. The thought of having to fight the same fight every single day, all while knowing that real lives were at stake – that fully drained my willpower. It took all my strength to keep fighting despite knowing all this, and truth be told, I could barely make it back to my bed at night after each day of fighting.

The faces of those whose lives I had taken would come to haunt me at night. In an unending stream, their visages, stained in blood and mutilated, would populate every single corner of my mind to no end, stopping me from enjoying any of my much-needed sleep. Maybe Kaito was one of those who could throw away any and all worries once he had a goal set out before him, but I was sure that many of the soldiers in the Human Empire Defence Army, and even some of the Integrity Knights, would not feel the same way.

Regardless, seeing his drive was still a bit of a mood lifter, as his passion burned bright for all of us in the tent to see. However, the serious mood in the room could not be removed so simply, and most still sat or stood without much expression on their faces. Amidst all that, the quipping conversation continued, with those involved completely ignoring everyone else in the room.

"This is something that needs a certain level of brains to be used… are you up for this?"

"Huh? You lookin' down on me or somethin'? Whether it needs brains or not, of course I can do it. I'll show you, alright. I'll beat their asses so hard you won't even recognize them at the end of the day."

Collective eye-rolling drifted across the room, but we were all familiar enough with Kaito to know that this was just the way he acted – brash, brazen, always ready to rush into anything. It had initially been extremely tough convincing him that Eldrie, instead of himself, would be on the front lines on the first day. He was someone who only wanted to fight, completely mindless of anything else around him. Eventually, I heard Bercouli sigh as he walked over from the other side of the room.

"Look, I've got no problem with you being the one responsible for this, but you have to remember how important this is. Your unit is already a bit weaker than the other ones because of… certain events that may or may not have happened on the first day of war."

When he said that, Kaito opened his mouth to argue, but Bercouli stopped him with a wave of his hand.

"I get that you want to redeem yourself and get revenge on the goblins, but you have to remain clear-headed the entire way through."

Bercouli's comments may have been the only thing which could calm Kaito down from his headlong attitude. Taking a moment to breathe deeply, Kaito straightened up further, tilting his head upwards so that his eyes looked straight into Bercouli's.

"I won't let you down."

The man he spoke to smirked, then turned around and returned to his seat. Though he had been able to rest for the past few days considering he no longer had to stand around waiting for the minions to walk into his traps, traces of fatigue could still be found on his face, and he still preferred to sit down rather than stand on his own two feet when he wasn't in battle. It was probably more of a mental exhaustion rather than a physical one.

"Nothing else to discuss then?"

No one else spoke up, and a few simply grumbled in response. It was already late at night, and many of those in the tent were already exhausted from a long day's fighting. It was normal to have this briefing after dinner every day, as I recently discovered, but today's meeting had gone much longer than it usually did with discussions of what tomorrow may bring for us.

"Then, meeting adjourned. Everyone go get some good rest."

Nearly lifeless individuals slowly slumbered out of the tent, each heading back to their respective sleeping quarters. Without taking a second look behind me, I followed the crowd outside, exhaustion weighing down my legs as if they were being strangled by iron weights. I trudged through the muddy ground to get back to my tent; it had rained last night, making today's battleground even more of a mess than it already was.

To a certain extent, I was amazed that it had _only_ been five days since all this fighting began. Despite how I had experienced it for only three days, it had already become a sort of eternal hell – it was hard to tell how much anyone had left in the tank. The weather certainly didn't help with lifting my mood, considering how there were so many thoughts bogging down my mind, especially when it came to the situation in the Real World with Asuna and Rath.

I listlessly pulled aside the entrance to my tent, flopping facedown into my bed. Not even bothering to remove my shoes, I simply let my legs dangle off the edge of my bed. Exhaustion wasn't even the right word to describe it – I felt like death had run itself through my entire body, destroying anything and everything in its path. It had even destroyed my will to sleep and rest, regardless of its importance to me. Silently, I lay in that position for a while, unable to do anything other than taking deep breaths to try calming myself down.

Finally, I pulled my face off the soft covers lining my bed. I had already realized that it would be completely impossible for me to get any sleep, so instead I decided to take a walk outside to at least get some of that anxious energy out of my system. As I stepped outside, the cool nighttime air blew past my face, sending small chills down my back. The starless sky leaving me in a veil of darkness, I found it difficult to trudge through the water-soaked dirt. At least having to concentrate on pulling my feet out before they were stuck in the ground provided something to take my mind off the whole _war_ thing.

Taking the main road of camp, I was quickly brought to the edge that was closest to the battlefield. Prior to the battle's commencement, a small, crude wooden fence lined with stakes was set up, which would at least slow down the Dark Territory's troops in the situation that they decided to ambush us at night. So far, this had never happened, but sentries still lined the front, eyes peering out into the darkness ensuring that there was no movement, or else all hell would immediately break loose within the camp as everyone scrambled to prepare for the impending attack.

Over the few days of battle, a couple of the support engineers had helped set up a few wooden towers along the fence line. Of course, these were only manned at night, though in this darkness, it wouldn't be of much help. Still, it was nice to get off the marshy ground and onto a somewhat solid surface, so I climbed up the nearest one. The sentry on duty was startled by someone heading up to the elevated platform, but after seeing me, he simply nodded and resumed his watch.

I leaned my hands over the guardrail, staring off into the darkness which provided no answers to the burning questions I had. Tomorrow would be the same as today. Needless deaths, unnecessary suffering, insufferable pain. How I wished that we could somehow create peace between our two sides, so we could end all this useless fighting. However, by now, we had probably reached the point of no return, where it would be impossible to broker any peace between our two sides. Besides, if there really were people from my world who were leading the Dark Territory's troops, peace would be completely unattainable, considering how they would see this world as nothing more than a simulation. If they were willing to start a world war, I could see no reason for them to accept a peace treaty.

The next sound I heard was the sound of armour plates grinding on each other. The soldier who had originally been on watch duty was now at the end of his shift, his replacement reluctantly coming up to relieve him of his duty. Different person, but the same job. He also left me in silence, and my mind wandered even further, thinking back to the reason I had been put into the Underworld in the first place. So much time had passed, but my thoughts and my speculations were still the same, as any new information I had gathered was either dismissible at first sight, or downright incredulous. At this point, I still had no idea why any of this was even happening; these unknowns irritated me, to the point where I would sometimes think about this while fighting goblins.

Another switching of guards told me that I had spent far too long moping around, so I quietly headed down myself as well. Looking up at the sky around the Great Eastern Gate, my eyes seemed to deceive me, showing a few flickering lights. Somehow my tiredness had gotten to the point where I was hallucinating, as after I rubbed my eyes, the lights disappeared from view. Ignoring my body's signs of exhaustion, I trudged on, continuing down the road back to my bed.

Candlelight still flickered in the command tent, and seeing how my body was still too awake for sleep, I changed my course slightly to head inside. There were only a few people left inside, all of them standing motionless staring at something in the tent. Fanatio stared at the wall sullenly, sometimes taking glances down at the sword by her side. Alice dutifully studied the map board in the center of the tent, pointing to random things and muttering incoherent sentences. Bercouli, meanwhile, sat in his chair, with his head turned upwards towards the ceiling, completely stationary. Looking at the slow movements of his chest, I assumed he was asleep, but as soon as I entered, he flicked his head down towards me, without a hint of sleep on his face.

"You all can't sleep either?" I threw that line out as I headed for the nearest chair to take a seat.

"You bet. It's funny, isn't it? When you're the most tired, that's when your body just won't let you sleep at all." Bercouli had already turned his head back to watch the ceiling, despite how clearly uninteresting that sight would be.

I sat down backwards in the chair, resting my chin up on the top of the backrest, vacantly letting the air in my mouth pool up, inflating my cheeks like a chipmunk. The cycles of fighting for your life, then going home and sleeping it off – that was seriously a major struggle that I couldn't deal with very well. SAO seemed very similar on the outside, but it was still a different feeling. Perhaps for me, the difference lay between who I was fighting for? Fighting for my own survival, as opposed to fighting purely for the sake of others. I looked around at the other people in the room, Integrity Knights who, all their lives, had been tasked with protecting the Human Empire. Even if they did fight with intentions of securing their own legacy, ultimately, they fought to protect the people.

"How do you do it? Fighting for those who you don't even know, those who you've never seen?"

The three other knights in the room turned their heads towards me, curious as to why I would ask that question.

"Of course, you have the ones on the front lines with the rest of us, but even then I won't dare to say that I've met everyone out there. And I've only ever been to Rulid, Zakkaria and Centoria. How many other people are there who I don't know?"

"Don't look at us like were some mystical beings, okay? You're the one that basically broke that news to us, so it makes no sense for you to think we're anything special. I just think that we're all really good actors. I mean, look at us. Aren't we moping around here? I can assure you that the other knights do something like this on their own time, in their own places."

"Knight Commander Bercouli is absolutely right. You think too highly of us, Kirito. Do you not remember that I am also the woman who had kept her face hidden in battle, in the fear of revealing my features to the enemy? Such a coward would never be able to fight for countless others."

Fanatio circled around the tent, grabbing a chair nearby and aimlessly spinning it on its legs before sitting down on it. Alice had long since moved away from the map and had also grabbed a seat nearby. None of the knights focused their gazes towards me, and everyone seemed to be looking into the distance, each of them in their own world.

"Then how?" I nearly spat out that sentence as I continued probing for an answer.

"How do you not lose yourself in all of this? It's only been four days, and I'm near my wit's end. You all, as Integrity Knights – you all have been fighting for so much longer than I have. Still, you keep yourselves together, even when utterly destroying all your enemies."

A wave of silence washed over the tent as I shut my mouth. For at least a whole minute, no one spoke. If even the knights themselves had such a hard time with this question, how much longer did I have before going insane? I'd always glorified these things… war, fighting, swordsmanship. Even within SAO, these horrors were never at the forefront. Sure, it was always a battle to the death, but ultimately it was too much like a game, and it just wasn't the same level of realism. Here in the Underworld, it was the same as in real life. Thinking back to that time when Sugou attacked me outside of Asuna's hospital, that feeling of fear was inexplicably different than when Kuradeel nearly took my life in SAO.

"I do not believe that it is possible for someone to fight for nameless faces that they have no connection to. I for one, certainly cannot. In the end, I think about the people I do know – the people around me who I value, and those who care about me. My focus is on them, not on the countless others who may be saved as a result of my own actions. That's why I put even more effort into my fighting now. I had the chance to meet so many wonderful people, and it is my goal to return to them, announcing my success."

I looked over at Alice, who happened to be staring straight at me, her eyes unwavering despite the fatigue that plagued her features. I had never imagined that a knight like her would be so invested in protecting other people, but to be fair I didn't know her that well. Still, I understood her answer, taking it to heart. It was something difficult to achieve though, as I knew that it would be near impossible for me to just forget about those who I didn't know. At this point, I was still curious as to what the other two knights had to say.

Fanatio sighed as she stood up from the chair, pushing back into the corner. Eyeing me, she swiftly turned around, heading to the entrance of the tent.

"I only fight so I have another day. You could say that I fight for myself and myself only, disregarding all those around me. Fighting is merely a way to ensure that I can live to do the things that I want to do."

With that, Fanatio pushed aside the curtains, walking out into the pitch-black night. Not that her response surprised me or anything, but I was taken aback in how it was delivered, completely blunt and emotionless. Even Alice herself was shocked, but Bercouli simply smiled and looked towards me.

"She's probably feeling a bit unlike herself today, so don't mind her answer. Though I feel the truth isn't that far from what she was saying. As for me… well, it's similar. It's basically for myself too. I fight so I can stay alive, because if I don't… well, I pretty much don't trust anyone else to protect the people I care about."

 _Ahh… so that's how it is for him. It definitely is an interesting way to think about it. But of course, he's had over 300 years to come up with an answer like this._

Bercouli's intentions struck a chord in my heart, as I finally realized how I should be approaching my own situation. Ultimately, my goal was to return to the Real World, and regain the life of the student Kirigaya Kazuto. To return to my girlfriend, Yuuki Asuna, as well as my sister, Kirigaya Suguha, and my two loving parents Kirigaya Minetaka and Kirigaya Midori. To see all my friends again. In my own fear, I had turned that goal into one of protecting the Underworld, whatever that meant, but that goal in itself was flawed and I was suffering as a result of it. Instead, if I thought of it as a mission objective, I would be willing to bet that my entire outlook would change. Playing this life as if it were a game and setting this as one of the goals – this was my solution. Bercouli's ultimate goal was to protect and take care of those who he cared about. And the way he would be able to achieve this was by selfishly prioritizing his own safety.

Being the protector of this world would be my win condition, which would allow me to get back to my world. Any less than that, and it would all be a failure. And protecting the world meant being able to protect the lands _and_ the people who stood behind me. No matter what, I had to get back to the place that I truly called home, and to do that I must protect my temporary home. Besides, I did truly care for the people of the Underworld, and as much as I would treat this as nothing more than an objective, I would still be emotionally invested into it.

"What's gotten into you, boy?" Bercouli was staring at me, as I realized that there was a silly smile on my face.

"Ahaha… don't worry about me. We should all head to sleep, right? We all need to be well rested for tomorrow anyways."

I stood from the chair, piling it back into the corner with the dozens of other wooden seating implements, before turning around and facing the two remaining knights one last time. I smiled at them, gave them a quick salute, and silently headed outside. Their last words drifted along with the wind, faintly reaching my ears.

"Well, he's acting weird today."

"Yeah…"

I ignored Bercouli's last comment as I sauntered back to my tent. Feeling much more free-spirited than I was earlier this night, my worries had been pushed to the back of my mind already. Soon after removing my shoes and moving onto the bed, the rich confines of my blanket whisked me off to my land of dreams. Freely, I allowed my mind to wander to wherever it wished to head towards; it was the first time in a while that I had gone to sleep with such a clear conscience.

* * *

11/12/380

* * *

Kaito's plan was a huge success, at least that's what I heard. Being so busy taking on the goblins in the center, I didn't have an opportunity to see the wonders of his attack. Apparently, the goblins sensed nothing out of the ordinary at the beginning of the fight, even working to pour in more of their forces into their center, eager to smash through the lines. Everyone, including me and the other knights, were incredibly surprised by Kaito's patience, as he waited until the absolute last minute before closing the so-called "jaws of death". At the very moment the center of his unit thinned to its bare minimum, allowing the goblins to have a clear view of the second line, the two sides swung inwards like a nutcracker, completely decimating the goblins trapped within.

They estimated that the unit of goblins Kaito fought against lost at least 75% of their troops from that singular attack, with the rest scrambling to escape certain death. The first sign that his attack might have been successful was the fact that some of his troops came in as flanking support for Bercouli's center unit, further pushing back the goblins on the other side.

The end of fighting came at a much earlier time today as compared to the previous days of fighting. Considering how badly beaten their right flank was, it wasn't surprising that their commanders called for an early exit from the frontlines. As usual, none of our units pursued them, which was undoubtedly the right call for today. With our momentum, and the high spirits of all the soldiers on our side, it wouldn't have been impossible for them to rush forward without thinking at all, and if the Dark Territory was able to regroup even in the slightest, our forces could have been obliterated.

That night, everyone celebrated. Dinner was so much livelier than it usually was, especially with Kaito's loud mouth running itself as he was clearly a little… under the influence. No one could blame him though. He had proven his doubters wrong, and had struck a massive victory, giving all of us so much hope and promise for the days to come. So many of those in his unit were praising him for all that he did today, especially when it came down to his picture-perfect timing. If it had been even a second later, the goblins could have torn a hole straight through the center of the unit.

One thing that Kaito always had going for him was his instincts. Yeah, he was never the brightest guy in the room, often rash and unreserved, sometimes going and doing dumb things without thinking anything through, but there were also times like this where his intuition shone brighter than the midday sun. His bravery may have been the only thing that kept the plan together, as he stood alone in the middle for a very extended period of time. Had it been regular soldiers, they would have surely been defeated long before the optimal position was reached. Even some of the Integrity Knights would have succumbed to fatigue, but not Kaito. For hours on end, he stood his ground, defeating wave after wave after wave of goblins rushing towards him, as they tried to break through the line's final defence.

"Hey, shouldn't you tell him to sleep or something?"

"Let the man celebrate. It's not every day you succeed in saving the world."

I sighed; Bercouli was right. I should just let him be and go to sleep myself. The adrenaline had mostly left my body, and I could already feel the sweet embrace of sleep coming to reclaim me. As I moved further away from the party, the sounds gradually faded into the distance, until only the loudest of cheers or laughs would reach my ears as a faint whisper. I decided that I would take a bath early with everyone still amidst their celebration.

The warm water lapped over me, calming me down further than I already was. A few times, I found myself drifting off into sleep, with the comfort of the warm water enveloping me like the world's coziest blanket. I only got woken up again when some of the other soldiers barged in after their celebration, and I silently left when that happened. It looked like the entertainment didn't stop at the mess hall, spreading even to the bathhouse.

The festivities lasted well into the night, but unlike the night before, I found it incredibly easy to fall asleep, even with the excessively loud noises outside. It was a bit worrying though, thinking about how our forces would fare tomorrow, after being so exhausted from the day's events. I trusted that the Integrity Knights would stop all this business in due time, but today I decided to step away from any responsibility. It was my time to savour my well-deserved rest, without any external interference. I could only dream that tomorrow, the Dark Territory's forces would take a more passive stance with the amount of damage they had taken today, allowing us to catch a breath despite fatiguing ourselves today.

* * *

11/13/380

* * *

There was a reason why dreams are called dreams, because they would never come true. The Dark Territory came back, fresh as ever, almost like their disgusting defeat yesterday had never happened at all. The two goblin armies had folded into one, pushing the front lines in the center even further back. I felt like even if no one excessively celebrated last night, there would be a similar result because of how ferocious their offensive was. Even with the combined efforts of Rian and myself, Fanatio's line was pushed much further back than it had ever been. And the void left by that nearly destroyed goblin force? Now it was replaced by a fresh unit of giants. In our excitement, we had forgotten that the Dark Territory had taken a similar approach to the layout of their forces, layering them out. Except with their insane numerical advantage, that second line had actually never fought a single battle, so not only were they bursting with eagerness to their limits, they were also completely undamaged and in perfect condition. To meet such a foe on the seventh day of battle was probably the biggest misfortune.

Every sign should have pointed towards Eldrie's unit being unable to hold their ground, but thankfully, they did exactly that. With support from Petula, they were managing to not only hold their own, but surprisingly push the giants back. Because of how far back our center line was being pushed, it almost seemed like a repeat of what had happened the previous day, but on a much larger scale. Except this time, the caving in of the center was not something that was planned, but rather something which was completely undesired, which could cause our downfall. I never got to see much of Deusolbert's side of the battle, but his forces were the only ones who were not facing a new enemy, so I suspected it was going rather well, especially when compared to the mess that was happening in the middle.

It was one of those times when I realized how different the battlefield was when comparing it to how I had experienced it previously in games. When playing RTS games, I had always been presented with a bird's-eye view of the entire map, or a camera which freely zoomed and tilted, which allowed me to make decisions while seeing everything easily. At this current moment, I was fighting blind; the only thing I saw were the goblins who were in front of me, and essentially nothing else. It was even difficult to track the whereabouts of those in my unit, and they were all supposed to be near me. Every time I took down a goblin, I tried to keep track of my surroundings, as much as I could, but I could never see anyone losing their lives. It was only after the battle finished, that I could see the remnants of the friends who had passed on from this world, leaving behind only their equipment and nothing else.

It was at this point when I was able to understand how the goblins fell for such a simple tactic yesterday. Because of how flat the plain was, they had no view of what we were trying to plot on our half of the battleground, and they had been fighting in the same way for multiple days before, and so thought nothing of the possibility of a trap. If they had been able to use the viewpoint of their flying minions, they would have been able to detect such a trap; fortunately for us, Bercouli's art had quite literally annihilated them, reducing them to nothing more than skin and bones.

Eventually, the situation in the middle became so precarious that Bercouli and his unit had to come reinforce the lines. I was so focused on what was in front of me that I didn't even notice when those soldiers had jumped in to aid us, but before I knew it, the situation had gradually stabilized. As I took down another goblin, I took a chance to step back a bit, wiping the sweat off my brow and catching my breath as my heart very nearly escaped out of my throat. I repositioned my Night Sky Sword in front of me, realizing that it was gradually dimming into the night.

 _The night…_

Shocked, I realized that the day's battle had gone on for far longer than the other days, with the sun drifting closer towards the horizon. Its rays reflected off the armour worn by the goblins, as well as glinting off their swords. Even though the sun was at our backs, the many crude mirrors created from all the metal around destroyed our visibility. Our enemies had similar struggles with the sun directly burning their retinas, but because the colour of the sun was already a deep red, it didn't affect them that much.

Why wasn't the Dark Territory ending their assault even though it was already this late? Were they hoping to end things today, with a single, final push, crushing not only our morale, but our lines as well? Regardless of what their intentions were, because they did not back off, we ourselves had no choice but to fight on until the bitter end. Fatigued faces began to surface all around me, as I could tell that none of those around me could go on for much longer. SAO boss battles had trained me well enough to keep my concentration in a fight for a longer than expected time, but for those others who were raised here, they expected the fight to stop when the sun began to set. Their minds were not prepared for this, and it was as if we had suddenly lost half our strength. The goblins surged forwards, cutting down all those around me.

"Don't bother holding your position! Regroup and don't get overwhelmed by their momentum!"

I hollered out in an attempt to quell the chaos, but it didn't help at all. Everyone in my unit was being mercilessly slaughtered. If this kept going, then everyone I cared about would be killed without reservation. On top of that, I wouldn't be able to complete my objective, meaning that I couldn't escape this world and return to my own.

A guttural cry erupted from my throat, my blood boiling into a frenzy. Unleashing that scream, one that nearly smashed my own vocal chords, I sprinted ahead into the enemy, looking to tear apart the ones I had seen do the same to my comrades. Nothing was going to stop my fury – I _would not_ stop until every last one of them were torn to shreds.

As I cut down each goblin, I remember shouting something along the lines of "burn in hell" or another curse like that. However, by then, my bloodlust had gotten to the point where I only vaguely remembered the events that happened. One moment, I was sprinting towards the nearest goblin, sword held in the position which would allow me to activate the four-hit Aincrad Style Vertical Square, one of the first Sword Skills I had learned in SAO. After a series of blurry encounters, I stopped to wipe blood out of my eyes – blood that probably did not belong to me. Only then did I notice that my left hand was gripping a sword, the blade of which had been completely pitted with nicks, covered in scratches, and drenched in blood.

I smirked. Without myself even consciously doing it, I had returned to that "dual-blades Kirito" which had gained me such fame in SAO, fighting as if my own life would be lost at any instant. Fixating my attention once again on the re-converging goblins, I dashed to meet them, fighting like a demon possessed whose only mission was to kill, kill, and kill. For whatever reason, the lines of goblins began to pull back, but I _did not care_. I wanted to slay every single one of them. I had already burned the image of the ones at fault into my brain, going after them without any reservation. It took me a while before I realized how far forward I had pushed, as I began to be regularly surrounded on all sides, before literally cutting that encirclement into pieces. I only fell back because the sword I had picked up in my left hand shattered into a few pieces, the point slashing across my thigh.

Letting out a cry of anguish like a wounded beast, I leapt backwards, creating some separation between myself and the goblins. Hurriedly, my enemies turned away and fled, worriedly turning their heads back constantly to ensure that I was not pursuing them. I was glad to have evoked such fear in them, my mouth twisting into a depraved grin. I wanted to look for my next targets, but my thigh wouldn't let me move as freely as I did before, so my hotheadedness gradually cooled down. Dropping the hilt of the broken sword, I slowly began to turn around to return to where the rest of my unit was.

That was when I noticed it: the mountains were _moving_. All logic and reasoning pointed towards mountains being stationary things which under all normal circumstances, should definitely not be moving around. Squinting my eyes to get a better view of the slopes, I finally got a view of what was causing this weird phenomenon to happen. The mountain had never moved, but there were things moving over the mountain. Things as in soldiers – thousands of them littering the slopes.

We had chosen to stay on the inside of the End Mountains to take advantage of the cover they provided, allowing us to focus the fight on only the width of the gate, which made up for our inadequacy in terms of numbers. Never once did we ever consider the Dark Territory crossing that mountain range, which would render our plan of defence completely useless.

Finally, the soldiers who had crossed the mountains, now free from that perilous terrain, charged at us without abandon. The first shouts came from the Dark Territory's forces raising war cries. The second ones came units on the left, probably Petula's, Kaito's and Renri's, urgently rearranging themselves to survive the oncoming onslaught. Thirdly, then came the screams of those who were being dismembered, torn apart, and slaughtered. It was then when my ears realized that this noise wasn't just coming from in front of me, but behind me as well.

 _I see, we've been flanked on both sides because we idiotically believed that these End Mountains were insurmountable. Oh… those must have been the lights I saw two nights ago, up on the mountain tops. Haha, if only I had said something, then maybe someone could have checked it out._

I couldn't even keep my attention on the sides, because the goblins who had only recently retreated were now coming back to clamp down on us. Their plan truly was to finish us off today, not even waiting for us to slowly run out of manpower. Crossing the mountains was something completely out of our expectations, and it looked as if we were going to pay for that colossal mistake.

No saving the world, and no going home for me.

It's been a while since I've felt so hopeless.

* * *

 **A/N**

I feel like this section has become me apologizing for delays because clearly, I have the attention span of a goldfish. This time, it was something different again: not sports, not games, but just anime. I watched Gigguk's recent video "The Waifu That Didn't Deserve To Die" which talked about the anime movie "Kimi no Suizo wo Tabetai" or in English, "I want to eat your pancreas". The first thing that comes to mind is how strange that title sounds, and I had that exact same thought. But judging by the contents of his video, I decided to give the movie a shot. And boy was it worth it.

I don't want to go too into detail about the movie because that's potential spoilers, but I will say that I resonated so much with the main character, who I feel is a bit like me. Introverted, keeps to himself, enjoys reading, tries to lose himself in a fantasy world all contained within the pages of his books and the confines of his mind. Though he takes this behaviour to the extremes, it wasn't difficult for me to see myself in that same position. And I guess that's why I enjoyed the movie so much; when you can relate to a character on that level, it almost seems like you're watching a film about your own life. It's a seriously good movie, and if you enjoyed Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso (Your Lie in April), then I've got a good feeling that you'll like this movie as well.

Even after watching it, I wanted more. So, I read the original light novel, as well as the manga adaptation, both of which took out a large chunk of time. Then I got a good dose of writer's block (can't say that there's no correlation between those two events), which is what led to this big delay. But it's here now, and I can already feel the next distraction waving its hand at me: Cities Skylines. Good luck to me!

Comment response time:

thewookie1: Engineers do in fact exist! I didn't have them doing too much in the beginning because the Gate simply crumbles, and no one _really_ knows how the landscape is going to look like when that happens, so they can't build in advance, and now they have to plan out what to build and where to build it. Also, yes, I think their bodies disappear. At least that's what I remember from the anime since Eugeo does fade away. Regardless, I guess in my version bodies do despawn after a while (but items don't).

P.S. Does anyone (without Google-ing) know why the chapter's called "Hannibal"?


	11. Chapter 10 - Break

_**Chapter 10 – Break**_

* * *

11/13/380

* * *

The End Mountains were supposed to surpass the limits of a living being. Nothing that moved on land should have been able to cross them. It was not that it was physically impossible, but rather the task of climbing it should have seemed absolutely hopeless. The mere thought of it would have sapped any inkling of desire to ascend to its peak. Because of that, the Dark Territory had never even tried crossing this mountain range, making the job of the Integrity Knights that much easier. Perhaps there was a centuries old tale passed down from generation to generation in the Dark Territory, instilling fear into all, and preventing any from attempting to scale the mountains. But whatever the reason, any instance of mountain scaling had never been recorded in the history of the Human Empire.

In such a way, as time passed, the Integrity Knights began to overlook these borders with the Dark Territory. Seeing as there had never been an attempt to come near those peaks, they had deemed that the Dark Territory saw it as a ridge extending towards the heavens, absolutely and perfectly forming a seal between its two sides. Even the Dark Knights, the only ones who were capable of crossing these mountains on the backs of their own dragons, had reservations about venturing into the territory of the Human Empire. Gradually, the number of patrols which actively traced the route of the mountains diminished, until Administrator completely abolished them with the increasing need for Integrity Knights to oversee the growing population in all four of the empires.

None of the knights could have foreseen these mountains finally being traversed. They thought of the End Mountains as "something which could only be attacked by the air". They had their eyes not on the mountains themselves, but only on the skies above their snow-capped peaks. Because they refused to turn their eyes only the slightest bit downwards, this advancing force, comprised of the Pugilist Guild and the ogre race, crossed through undetected. Carrying only the most basic of necessities, they passed over without fearing for their lives. It even seemed as if this mountain crossing had been planned by the commanders of the Dark Territory's forces ever since the beginning of the battle, as the two forces chosen to cross were incidentally the only two units who had not touched the face of battle, as well as the ones best suited for the mountain crossing.

The pugilists fought with their bare fists. Without the need to carry any weapons, as well as having trained themselves to the pinnacle of physical condition, they easily clambered up the rocky and snowy slopes of the mountain. The ogres were hefty beings, capable of lifting things several times their body weight. They were the perfect combination of size and strength, hauling the much-needed food and supplies for the difficult journey over the mountains. Of course, the giants could carry more, but their size was simply unsuited for such a crossing.

Their journey up the face of the mountain was rather uneventful; a slow and arduous climb constantly put on pause due to the many challenges encountered. Because of how large the force pugilists and ogres was, funneling everyone through one single route was simply impractical, and so multiple paths on different mountains were chosen to be used before the operation commenced. A few Dark Knights had surveyed the chosen pathways, detailing what they anticipated would be the best route to take to reach the top. In order to avoid raising any suspicions about the details of this plan to those living on the other side of the mountains, they never surveyed the inside face of the mountain. Still, the ascent was filled with challenges and dangers, as an overhead assessment of the land could only provide so much accurate information.

Descending was even more difficult – there were no planned routes, so every new step was nothing more than guesswork. It was absolutely unthinkable how many perished, falling to their deaths in crevices, or having parts of their bodies torn off or smashed when loose debris came hurtling down the slopes. But these rugged soldiers persisted, all the more motivated by the sight of the enemy sprawled out before them. These humans, or White Iums as they were referred to, were ripe for the picking – men to be slaughtered, women to be abused.

As the land finally flattened out, both pugilists and ogres alike ran as fast as they could towards their prey, disregarding any previous formations their commanders could have instilled onto them. Their bloodlust had already reached new heights where words would not be able to have any effect on their actions. Crazed shouts rang out among their lines; waves of bodies clashed against each other. Soon, the land was stained red as humans left and right were slaughtered. Before long, those of the Dark Territory had taken notice of the Human Empire's camp. They knew that the most _succulent_ of goods would be hiding in that camp.

Without any instructions, and following only their basest desires, the ogres raced to claim their prizes. Because the pugilists were also human themselves, their destructive desire did not reach the same extreme that the ogres experienced. Hesitation crossed their minds for the slightest moment, before they themselves followed in the footsteps of the ogres. Quick-footed individuals quickly caught up to the lumbering creatures who led in front. As they moved, so did their enemies; the humans desperate to protect the ones who were still left behind in their camp. Only because the pugilists were indecisive for a moment were the humans able to prevent their camp from being immediately overrun. Instead, forming a blockade, they managed to weather the storm as the rest of their troops reorganized themselves to form a protective barrier with the camp at its center.

As the ogres and pugilists tried to circle around the humans who were now standing in their way, the wall of humans moved along with them. A sort of dance, like two snakes slithering next to each other. Before long, two rings had been formed – the outer furiously trying to force itself through to the inside, the inner desperately trying to hold its ground. The rear of the camp was defended by the somewhat fresher second line of the Human Empire Defence Army, while the front of the camp relied on the already exhausted first line to hold firm. Fortunately for them, their opponents in the front had also been thoroughly spent through the day's fighting.

The shape of the rings changed constantly, some places collapsing inwards in one moment, then being reverted back to its original shape after a frenzied counterattack. In the grand scheme of things, neither side budged enough for the situation to change, as the Dark Territory continued to try pushing into the camp to no avail. Bodies fell one after another, with both the offensive and defensive line slowly shrinking. But to anyone watching from the skies, the inevitable result was obvious. The rate at which one side was losing their forces was far, far greater than their enemy's losses. Perhaps not today, but sometime tonight, the battle would end with total annihilation.

On the west side of these parallel rings, a young ogre commander by the name of Holmgeirr continued to lead his soldiers towards their promised land. Bathed in the blood of his enemies, his club continued to maul those who stood in his way. His massive stature, combined with his unnatural gracefulness, delivered to him a position as the seventh of the Ten Horns. As one of the top elites of the ogre race, he had lived his life in extreme luxury when compared with his fellow compatriots. But even then, it was not enough to satisfy him. He knew that even the _common_ human, one without any particular strengths or accomplishments, lived in comparable luxury to one of the Ten Horns. That thought disgusted him more than anything he could imagine.

He had toiled for years, leaving his blood, sweat, and tears throughout the lands so that he could advance in the ranks of the ogres. Not wasting a single day, he spent every one for the betterment of his own body, all so he could become a more efficient soldier. He alone was responsible for winning over large swaths of land from the other races in the Dark Territory, based purely on his ferocity and quick-witted decision making. But the lands that he won over for his own kind were nothing but mere trash. A square with a length of one mel from the Human Empire could yield more crops than a two kilomel long square of land from the Dark Territory. This land he had killed others over, the same land he had watched his brothers slain on – it was worth _nothing_.

The vision of invading the Human Empire was always something that purveyed through his dreams whenever he lay down to rest. He swore to his ancestors that one day, he would be able to bring his entire family to live in those bountiful lands. And then, that opportunity presented itself. All the races of the Dark Territory were called to bond together, disregarding any previous hardships, and fight together for the sake of destroying the Human Empire. Holmgeirr was ecstatic. As one of the Ten Horns, he would surely lead forces in the assault. But when that wretched gate finally collapsed, he found out that the ogres wouldn't even be fighting. The Dark Emperor Vector had declared that the ogres would instead be part of his "secret plan".

Never even being given a chance to fight, Holmgeirr seethed, but was completely unable to do anything. He knew for a fact that this Dark Emperor Vector, who had only descended a few days before the order to advance had come out of Obsidia, was _incredibly_ strong. The previous leader of the Dark Knights, Viksul Ur Shasta, even after unleashing an ultimate move capable of killing the head of the Assassin guild as well as both the mountain and plains goblin chiefs, had been unable to even put a scratch on Vector's armour. When the ogre chief returned to his clan to relay the news of the Emperor's return, as well as detailing his strength, Holmgeirr trembled.

It was well known through the land just how strong the leader of the Dark Knights was. He was often called "the strongest being in the lands beyond the fertile". But this Emperor was literally not of this land. His strength could not be compared; he had boundless potential. Holmgeirr, who couldn't even call himself the strongest ogre, had no chance of standing up to Vector. And so, he waited, despite itching from every part of his body to throw himself into battle. However, it seemed that Vector was not spouting lies concerning this plan of his.

When Fulgrr and Iskahn were called into His Majesty's presence, they came back with exciting news for their respective races. Fulgrr eagerly declared that the ogres would finally be joining the fight, as part of the pivotal offensive which would bring them victory – an ambush through the mountains. The ogres were always ones who valued meeting their opponents head-on, but the Emperor's words were absolute, and their desire for battle allowed them to overlook that little detail in the plan of attack.

Excitement filled the air in the ogre camp that night. Many of them had never experienced the glory of the battlefield yet and had been thirsting for the opportunity to do so. Knowing that their turn would come soon loaded their hearts with fighting spirit beyond anything they had felt their entire lives. Though Holmgeirr was different, having stepped foot on the plane of war multiple times, he too welcomed this all-consuming pleasure with his fellow comrades.

The journey up and down the mountain was a difficult one, and many of those who were so eager to step foot on the field perished before getting a chance to realize their dreams. But Holmgeirr still pushed onwards, vowing to avenge his comrades, whose sacrifices could not be left in vain. If he could come back with the head of the enemy commander, then he would be satisfied. Not only that, but he would certainly gain influence back home, rising in the ranks of the Ten Horns, and perhaps becoming even the First Horn: a title equivalent to the chief of the ogres, which Fulgrr currently held.

The title of being the foremost of his race, as well as the spoils of war from the campaign against the Human Empire; these two things would be enough for him and his family to live in true extravagance for the rest of their lives. Their children too would be able to experience this sweet opulence. It was for this very reason that Holmgeirr was so hell-bent on achieving his dream. He swore that he would keep swinging his club until this fantasy was wrapped tight within his grasp.

His strength unmatchable by the soldiers of the Human Army, he was able to gradually push his way deeper through the lines of those defending. He and his subordinates were slowly piercing their way through the defensive lines of the Human Empire, like an arrowhead finding its way through armour. That arrowhead slowly worked its way through, gouging deeper and deeper until Holmgeirr could see the other side. Basked in the golden rays of the twilight sun, he could see the village constructed by the humans in this time of war. Crudely made with but a few tents, even this settlement which was casually thrown together looked to belong to the richest in the lands of the Dark Territory.

Holmgeirr's rage blew to a boiling point. Swinging his club down one final time, he savagely crushed the head of the lone enemy soldier standing in his way. As soon as that man's feeble form crumpled to the ground, he sprinted ahead, through the small gap created by the now deceased soldier. The sounds of battle gradually faded away from his ears, before he turned around, realizing that a few of his underlings had managed to squeeze themselves through that gap as well, and had been following him in his journey through their enemy's headquarters. For whatever reason, they weren't being pursued. Those humans must have been so afraid of letting any other ogres through that they were unable to turn their eyes away from the battle in front of them. Whatever the reason, Holmgeirr and his fellows were free to roam without any fear of being attacked.

"...Grr… anything moves, kill it."

The ones around him snarled in response, as they continued to run through the camp. The odd silence permeated the air… there should be supporting units here in the camp, but where were they? So far, Holmgeirr saw nothing that moved – only empty tents as well as a few abandoned wagons. But there was no sign of life in the vicinity. Nevertheless, he decided to carry on; maybe heading towards the center would bring them in view of the command center, where there would surely be at least one single soul. Holmgeirr wanted so badly to tear apart humans, especially those who weren't soldiers. Being able to see their defenseless selves in terror, screaming in pain and horror as they were ripped to shreds… the ones who had stood in the way of their promised land deserved a fate like that.

As they moved around in silence through the camp, they eventually were able to hear some voices up ahead. As expected, these voices came from a place near the center of the camp. Excited, the ogres quickened their steps, eager to see what kind of helpless humans would be the ones to die at their hands. The ones here hiding in the camp would be the weakest of the weak, completely incapable of fighting back at all. Exactly the ones that Holmgeirr wanted to torture.

Bursting out from the cover of a nearby tent, the ogres roared as they charged, trying to instill as much fear as they could into the feeble ones in front of them. But catching a glimpse of the humans they were face to face with made them all balk. It was not defenseless non-combatant humans who had no fighting power. All the people in front of them carried beautifully crafted weapons, many of them wearing elegantly decorated armour. It was then when Holmgeirr realized their mistake. The ones standing before them were the Integrity Knights, the fiercest fighters in the entire Human Empire.

Of course, he had never seen any of them because all his fighting experience had been against the other races in the Dark Territory. But he had heard stories, carried down from his parents, as well as travelling merchants who had heard these tales from anyone who had seen a glimpse of these Knights. He knew that not even the average Dark Knight along with their dragon, who could single-handedly take out tens of ogres, could hope to win in a one-on-one fight against any one of these Integrity Knights. He had heard about how the weapons they used had absolute beauty, a far cry from the simple clubs that the ogres commonly used. Even the most precious of weapons crafted in the Dark Territory, the Dark Knight Leader's blade, would be considered "average quality" when compared to these exquisite weapons that the Integrity Knights carried. Moreover, these knights knew of a certain art which would allow their weapons to awaken, furthering their ridiculous combat potential into destructive power.

These stories also told of the intense aura that each of these knights carried along with them every time they were out for battle. Holmgeirr was told that experiencing it was something indescribable, something like being shoved into a deep bog while carrying a mountain above your shoulders. No matter who he asked, they could never give him a concrete answer as to what that feeling really was like. These storytellers had asked these questions as well, but every single person was told the exact same thing.

"You will know what it feels like when they stand before you. And if you ever feel it, drop everything and run for your life."

The ogres who had slipped through the encirclement had also heard of these tales, and all had similar reactions as Holmgeirr. Frozen still, fear wrapped their bodies, rooting their feet in place in front of those who could kill them in a single stroke. Even though Holmgeirr feared, he yearned to one day fight and defeat one of these esteemed knights, so that he could raise the legend of his legacy even further into the limits of the sky. He knew clearly in his own mind that his current strength would not be enough to take down all the knights in front of him. And it would do him no good if he were to kill one of these Integrity Knights, without any witnesses to bring his name into the echelons of glory. The knights gathered around the ogres would surely reduce them all into dust without letting a single one escape.

"See, I told you this would happen. They're bound to break through if we're busy trying to figure out what we need to do."

One of the Integrity Knights, a young man dressed in all black, turned his head to complain to someone who was standing beside him. That other man stepped towards the ogres, brandishing his sword in his right hand: a massive blue blade, devoid of any decorations on its surface. As Holmgeirr refocused his eyes, trying to see how he could get out of this situation, he noticed that the other ogres he had come with had all become headless. In that short amount of time, the other Integrity Knights had moved as well, easily dispatching the ogres who had stood by his side.

The knight in front of him swiftly moved closer, brandishing that massive blade above his head, ready to strike down with both hands. With a roar, Holmgeirr jumped forward, bracing his arms to receive his enemy's massive sword on the face of his club. If he couldn't stealthily escape the grasps of his enemy, then he would need to force his way through. If he could take down just one Integrity Knight, even if he was killed by the other ones, then he would have succeeded in reducing the fighting potential of the Human Empire. Perhaps that would be the critical step in bringing the races of the Dark Territory to victory. And though his sacrifice would go unnoticed, maybe his family would be able to receive some riches even without his presence. Regardless, Holmgeirr knew he had no choice but to approach his enemy with the greatest ferocity.

Before he knew it, he was missing an arm and his club had been severed into two pieces. Another wave of fear washed over his entire body, deeper than anything he had ever felt before. This was the true strength of the Integrity Knights, the ones that he had told himself he would eventually surpass. It was as if these beings were on a completely different plane of existence, unreachable by any normal methods. Even if he trained his body to its limits, and acquired the battle experience of a lifetime, he still felt that he would not be able to defeat the man in front of him. That blade was brought down with absolute confidence, with the ability to completely disregard any attempts at hampering its movement.

Then, Holmgeirr had his world turned upside down. The ground became blue, and the sky was suddenly filled with tents of different shapes and sizes. His whole body suddenly felt much lighter, and any feeling below his neck had become completely numb. Utterly dazed and disorganized, his vision continued to rotate, until a solid impact clouded his consciousness.

* * *

"Well, ignoring those guys, we all know our roles, right?"

Bercouli looked around while flicking the blood off his sword and then sheathing it, seeing the other knights nodding their heads. Even Kirito, who had come back to headquarters wielding an unknown sword in his left and having an incredibly pale face, nodded in agreement with the rest of the knights. He had returned with his head down, mumbling something about the situation being hopeless, and how it wasn't going to matter if we had a meeting to decide on our course of action. Then he spouted some nonsense about how he would just throw himself out there and try to open up the battlefield all by himself, before he was quickly stopped and scolded by Alice and Fanatio.

Regardless, the plan had now been set, and it was all up to how well it could be executed. In theory, the Human Empire Defence Army would be able to get themselves out of this situation, but that was only assuming that every single one of their steps was performed to perfection, and the Dark Territory would not react quickly to the changes on the field. However, there was simply no other choice but to go with a plan as bold as this, considering how much the ambushes through the mountains had caught them off guard and crippled their movements. It would have been better if the camp wasn't surrounded since that could have been a good route of escape, but the situation they were in presently was anything but stable. Before their defensive line was crushed, the Integrity Knights had to put their plan into action, or else the Human Empire would cease to exist in the very near future.

"Good. Then get into position immediately. Fanatio will provide the signal to begin the operation as soon as all personnel are in place. Watch the skies for the Heaven Piercing Sword. Let's move!"

Each knight present, as well as Kirito, would be integral to the overall effort. The plan seemed simple enough: break a hole through the rear and get as much of their supplies and soldiers out. Sacrifices would have to be made; Bercouli knew that. That was the unavoidable truth of this matter. If they tried to fight while preserving the entirety of their forces, then there would be nothing left at the end of the day to protect. One would sacrifice for the sake of protecting another, only to have this vicious cycle repeat itself until there was no one left on the battlefield. It was only if everyone followed their assigned roles that the most ideal outcome could come to pass.

 _If only we could find Renri… his Divine Instrument would have been perfect for a situation like this._

Lamenting over the fact that one of the Integrity Knights, Renri Synthesis Twenty-Seven, did not report to headquarters, Bercouli reminded himself of that knight. In a situation like this, they would have to assume that he was either dead or captured by the enemy. It was such a shame for someone like Renri, especially considering how his presence could have made this operation so much easier for everyone. With his Divine Instrument, another path could have easily been cut through the Dark Territory's forces.

Bercouli had assigned himself the role of leading the assaulting force which would create the initial gap. This was a job which not only required his own strength, but also the total strength of his unit. These soldiers, though tired from the constant pressure they were subject to at the moment, were still the ones with the most energy. It would be up to them to use their remaining strength so that the lives of their comrades would not end today. Even if it cost them their own. There was no time to explain the details of the plan to all the soldiers in his unit, so Bercouli simply hurried to find the sub-commanders to explain the basics, as well as their specific roles.

After waiting for a long while, from the command tent, a flash of light ascended towards the heavens – it was Fanatio's signal that the operation should start. At that moment, Bercouli took in a deep breath to calm himself, then shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Commence the operation!"

* * *

There were wagons travelling at breakneck speed through the wilderness of the Eastabarieth Empire. Lagging further behind, the soldiers of the Human Empire, desperately running for their lives. Even further back were all the armies of the Dark Territory, giving chase in a disorganized mess-like horde. At this point, every single soldier of the Human Empire was trying their best to survive, despite how impossible it seemed. They had some help from the Integrity Knights, who would be swooping over from time to time, trying to increase the distance between the soldiers of the Human Empire and those who were chasing them.

However, the Integrity Knights were unable to keep their entire focus on what was happening on the ground, as the Dark Knights had also sprung into action. With the battle now being taken to the skies as well, those left on the ground were forced to fend for themselves. The Integrity Knights never wanted to use their dragons to fight, since that would inevitably bring the Dark Territory's strongest soldiers, the Dark Knights, into the fray. If that were the case, they couldn't use their overwhelming fighting prowess to neutralize their enemy's ridiculous numerical advantage. There was, of course, the very realistic possibility that the Dark Knights would simply attack along with the ground assault carried out by the other races. Bercouli's art, which was used on the flying minions, was also prepared to prevent the Dark Knights from mobilizing. But for some reason, even after the minions were crushed, this worst-case scenario never came to pass. It was possible that the Dark Knights feared that Bercouli could cut them down as well with the same art, even though this attack could only be used once. For this, the Integrity Knights were eternally grateful, as this allowed them to hold on for as long as they did.

To be honest, Renri didn't think that this ambush through the mountains would have changed the tides of the battle by that much. Sooner or later, both the mental and physical strength of the Human Empire's soldiers would be at their limits, and a scene similar to the one unfolding right now would occur. The ambush only brought this future closer by a few days. At least, that was what Renri could see – not that he had seen much of the battlefield. He was ashamed to admit that he had never actually set foot on the front lines with the rest of those brave soldiers who were risking their lives daily to protect those near and dear to their hearts.

Stationed as the leader of a support unit near the left flank, Renri's position was one of incredible importance. Protecting the enemy from circling around your own troops was one of the most vital steps towards being victorious in war. He knew that, yet he still ran away from his responsibilities. Fear would grip his heart whenever he saw those of the Dark Territory advancing closer. Other than the first day, Renri had remained hidden within his own tent, desperately praying to the gods of creation that this war would come to an end quickly.

However, this wish of his never came true. Day after day, the fighting never ceased. A week had passed with no sign of the battle coming to an end. And then, Kaito's beautiful performance had given him some hope. Perhaps this battle could end, with the Human Empire coming out as the victorious side. For the first time in a while, Renri joined his comrades in celebration that night, elated at the now golden prospects of victory. Most of all, he was glad that there would not come a day in which he would have to raise his arms to fight.

Yes, he was an Integrity Knight. Having fought his way through the Four Empires Unity Tournament to attain the ultimate prize of becoming an Integrity Knight at the tender age of fourteen, Renri was by no means weak. He himself knew that in terms of physical strength, he was lacking very little. However, it was his mind which was to be shamed. Renri was missing _something_ , something that would allow him to use the true power of his Divine Instrument, the Twin Edged Wings. Though he had power surpassing nearly everyone, he never had the urge to use it in any way.

Even the one who had gifted him that Divine Instrument, Administrator, had lost her faith in him. With the appearance of Alice Synthesis Thirty, a failure like Renri could be easily overlooked. And thus, he was put into a deep sleep by Chudelkin's art. When he was finally reawakened, tasked by the Prime Senator's orders of putting down the rebels who had invaded the Central Cathedral, he never had the chance to do anything. By the time he had fully awakened, the battle had already ended with the rebels having won the fight. Even if he had been fit for battle, Renri was unsure that he could have done anything out of his own volition. His spirit was simply too weak, too dull, to do anything significant. At least, that's what Renri thought about himself.

What amazed him was the fact that there were still others who believed in him, despite how they had surely seen him fail many times over. Bercouli had no hesitation in assigning him to travel to the edge of the Human Empire, instead of having him stay within the confines of Centoria. Though it seemed he was not trusted enough to command one of the six central units, a fact which Renri was delighted about, he was still given a critical role: controlling the flanks. But once again, Renri had let down all the people who still believed in him. But he had been afraid to openly break their trust, instead choosing to hide out on his own, out of the sight of any of his fellow Integrity Knights.

Even now, he was running away from his duties. Initially, Renri hadn't been fully aware of the fact that the Dark Territory had ambushed them. From the safety of his hidden place, he could only hear the sounds of chaos. Without any visual confirmation, all he could guess was that something had gone terribly wrong. Today's hiding spot was different than his usual one. Normally, he would be somewhat close to where his unit was supposedly stationed, wanting to give himself the peace of mind that he wasn't _fully_ abandoning his unit. However, today, that feeling gave way to the unwillingness to face his subordinates, fearful that the overly joyous atmosphere of yesternight would carry over into today's battle, with everyone eager to join the fight and go on the offensive.

Renri only wanted to distance himself from this fiasco, and so chose a hiding spot where he would be surrounded only by those who could not fight at all. Hiding in a wagon near the command tent, he could ensure that no matter what occurred, he would be as far away as possible from any battles that might pop up. And coincidentally, because of his chosen hiding spot, he was able to learn about the events of the day from the boisterous discussion between the Integrity Knights. His heart broke learning about the ambush, and all his hope was crushed to find out that the entire camp had been surrounded by the Dark Territory. Nonetheless, he continued to huddle within the confines of wagon, hiding amongst the boxes carrying weapons stashed from the Central Cathedral's armoury.

Too ashamed to take action and admit to his fellow knights that he was in fact running from battle and hiding away right next to them, he listened to his comrades as they realized that Renri was missing, or even worse, dead. Thoroughly touched when the knights who he thought viewed him as useless took a few moments of silence to recognize his efforts and mourn his loss. It wasn't much, but it was enough that it made Renri feel wanted and cared for. No matter the cost, he heard the knight say, they would try to save as many of these soldiers who had bravely volunteered to fight. Somehow, they would break through this encirclement, then scatter through the landscape of the Eastabarieth Empire, and then reconvene at Centoria: the Human Empire's last bastion of hope.

Renri couldn't even count on his two hands the number of things that could go wrong with this plan. And he was sure that the knights who had ultimately decided on this course of action knew even better than he did how precarious their situation was. But that was exactly why such a plan had to be concocted. They were truly on their last legs, and this plan, full of holes and imperfections, was their final and only hope of saving the lands they had long protected from these wretched enemies. At least from what Renri heard, there was no hesitation in their agreement; every member of the Integrity Knights valiantly going to fight their own battles even in the face of an overwhelming adversary.

As all the sick and wounded were being gathered together, along with all the resources which were deemed indispensable, Renri was nearly discovered multiple times. Somehow, he continued to evade being spotted, until the curtains on his wagon were finally shut for the last time. Soon after that, a bright light filtered through the curtain, even in the dark sky without the light of Solus. That curtain around the wagon was not thick enough to block out all light, so the sudden brightness stunned Renri for a while. Wanting to determine the source of the light, he shifted towards the front of the wagon, itching to peek outside. But before he could do that, the horse pulling the wagon lurched forward, and he was thrown back onto the floor of the wagon.

Regaining his footing was difficult, as the horse was racing forward at breakneck speed. But finally, he was able to stumble his way towards the front of the wagon, pulling the curtain aside so he could catch a glimpse of the situation. Though it was night, brilliant lights flashed through the air, illuminating the shadowy night sky. Even now, Renri remembered vividly the scene of all the Integrity Knights, full of passion and drive, diving towards all the different races of the Dark Territory, tearing them apart with their awakened weapons. Human and inhuman screams penetrated even the loud rumbling of the wagon's wooden wheels against the dusty ground, as friend and foe alike fell to the ground in agonizing pain.

Finally, Renri caught sight of the crux of the plan: the gap in the circle created by the efforts of Bercouli's unit. With the soldiers flanking on both sides, a passageway was created which could link the inside and outside.

 _I'm free…_

Renri realized that his dream of escaping the battlefield was soon to become a reality. Before long, his wagon had passed by all the soldiers who were bravely fighting on despite the fact that he, an Integrity Knight, was escaping under the cover of darkness. Never had he felt so ashamed of himself, and that feeling nearly pushed him to the point of jumping out of the moving wagon to join those on the front lines. But Renri was already far past caring about his own honour, or even fearing his own guilt. He was a coward, and he knew it, even to the point of embracing that fact. Without thinking of doing anything else, Renri closed the curtain and sat down as the wagon he rode in sped off into the Human Empire in the dark of night.

* * *

 **A/N**

I've only just realized that I might have been confusing people with the switches in perspective. To put it simply, a 1st person POV is reserved for Kirito (since he's the real main character). When I'm writing in 3rd person POV, it's generally an omniscient narrator, but sometimes I tend to delve into the minds of certain individuals. Hope that clears up any confusion.

I feel like it's been a really long time since I last posted, but I have good(?) reasons for that. As usual, it was another distraction. I thought, when I posted my last chapter, that it was going to be Cities Skylines. That was true for maybe two days and then I finally read a novel that my friend had been telling me to read for like four years. And I read all 24 volumes of it using up every bit of free time instead of being a normal person and slowly making my way through it. That series was Mushoku Tensei, and reading it like a madman was _absolutely_ worth it, even if I might have gone to work a couple of times on less than ideal hours of sleep.

After I finished, I had that period where I just didn't know what to do because I was moping around, disappointed that I had finished the series. The mixed feelings of "wow that was a great ending" and "I hate how it's over and there isn't anything else" really turned me into a vegetable for a while. But regardless, I'm over it (kind of?) and back to, you know, being a normal human being. Obviously until the next time I read a series that I completely fall in love with.

Thanks for sticking around, and see you all in the next chapter.


	12. Chapter 11 - Encounter

_**Chapter 11 – Encounter**_

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11/13/380

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Her sword darted in left and right. Controlling the many petals after a day of exhausting fighting was already hard enough, but to do so knowing that one false move could mean beating down on one of her own caused her to nearly stumble a few times. Alice steeled her nerves, fully concentrating on guiding those petals to protect herself and those around her, all while trying to cut down the foes who stood in her way. Her role was to be a distraction, as one of the Integrity Knights carrying a weapon well suited to controlling the flow of the battle by attacking large numbers of enemies at the same time. As much as Bercouli's sword cut through time, it could be said that Alice's Osmanthus Blade severed the confines of space, allowing her special blade to reach far beyond what others could not.

Located at the southern edge of the Human Army camp, it looked as if the goal was to have Alice punch a hole through her enemies surrounding the camp, and then have as much of the precious cargo escape into the forests. These dense forests would be a nightmare for anyone to search through, so hiding in this dense brush was quite possibly the best way to avoid being slaughtered. There was a chance that the Dark Territory did not know about this, but Alice and the other Integrity Knights felt that their enemies were not brainless individuals, and could quickly deduce the reasoning behind their supposed actions at a moment's notice.

And thus began her plan of being the ultimate distraction, aiming to pull soldiers away from everywhere else, especially their true target of the west end. She began attacking like a feral animal, lashing out with the infinite petals of her sword, easily penetrating through the skin of orcs standing in front of her. As she expected, their cries drew orcs and goblins from nearby, hurrying to strengthen their grip and prevent any of the soldiers of the Human Empire from escaping to the outside. The soldiers in Integrity Knight Scheta's unit played along with the getup of wanting to escape through the east – well, technically they were convinced this _was_ the plan, as many were from the Eastabarieth Empire and knew of the routes through the forest. Alice had just never bothered to clear up the misunderstanding, as this would put on an even more convincing show.

It had already been almost ten minutes since Fanatio had signaled for the plan to be put into motion. Alice believed that by now, Bercouli and his forces should have shot a hole through the west end, now allowing the wagons carrying all the sick, wounded, as well as the weapons brought from the Central Cathedral. That being said, the flow of enemies flooding over to fight against Alice only increased.

 _Why are there more of them coming? Have they not realized that we have already opened up a gap in the west? Or… has Esteemed Uncle failed?_

Taking the miniscule intervals in time when enemy troops were not charging directly at her, Alice considered the possibility that Bercouli failed his mission. At this rate, not only her energy, but the stamina of those around her would run dry without them even being able to attempt an escape. Furthermore, these denizens of the Dark Territory didn't even seem like they were trying to actively prevent the escape of the humans in front of them. In fact, it looked as if they were really trying to _attack_ Alice, some even reaching out with their hands and grabbing at her. It gave the impression of an incessant infatuation, like they wanted to take her for some strange reason. Filled with equal parts disgust and confusion, Alice continued to swing her arm, guiding the petals of her blade with her willpower and mind.

Exhaustion began to rack her body, but she forced herself to ignore the pain of overworking every fibre of her being. Watching the other valiant soldiers around her perish and turn to dust was the only thing fueling her body with barely enough motivation to override her muscles screaming for her to stop moving. The other Integrity Knights were surely in a similar situation, so for the sake of her comrades, she had to keep going. Even if it would destroy her, she vowed to keep fighting until this plan was successfully executed.

"Hiiiiiiiii, isn't that the Radiant Medium? It looks exactly like chief described!"

"Oooooooo! If we capture it, chief's gonna be so proud of us! We're gonna become generals in no time! Even the Emperor will praise us!"

"Of course he will! It's the Radiant Medium that he really wants!"

A lull in the flow of the battle was instead replaced by this inane conversation. Hearing the words "Radiant Medium" piqued Alice's interest. According to what Alice knew, a radiant medium was basically something that emitted light. Confused as she was, Alice was somehow certain that those words were referring to her own existence. Apparently, she was capable of letting out brightness into the world. It made no sense, but judging by the words of those goblins in her way, the "Radiant Medium" was something that could be caught; it was something tangible. And seeing as these words were spoken when these two came into her view, and the fact that there were both orcs and goblins who wanted to grab her, it only verified her thoughts.

 _Then, I'll use that as an advantage! If I can break through and make my way to the forest, then a large portion of the Dark Territory's forces may come after me and lose themselves in the trees…_

However, at that same time, Alice was reminded of who she was and why she was here. As a member of the Integrity Knights, it was her duty to protect the Human Empire, as well as the subjects of this empire. By fleeing to the forest, she would be going against her most precious duty. And even discounting that, the task given to her by Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One was to distract the enemy for long enough that all the supply wagons could escape into the heart of the empire, and then retreat along with everyone else through the hole in the encirclement. Specifically, she was to protect the other soldiers as this manoeuvre was carried out.

Alice knew that she absolutely should not, and could not, run from her duty. No… she wasn't running from it. By escaping into the forest, she would be able to pull away large parts of the Dark Territory's army, who would chase after her in pursuit of gaining the title of the ones who ensnared the "Radiant Medium". By doing so, she would be able to indirectly protect her people, fulfilling her duty in a roundabout way. Her heart, however, could not accept this. In the end, as the others all fled towards the west, Alice would not be able to stand at the back, spraying her Osmanthus Blade back and forth, in order to widen the distance between their forces and their enemies. Those who were fleeing, but were a step slower than their comrades, would fall at the hands of the savages desperately waiting to feast themselves on anyone. If she was not there, Alice knew that hundreds of lives would come to their end, and hundreds may suffer a fate worse than death.

She knew that compared to herself, the people who were fighting alongside her were weak. They had no Divine Instruments, many had only begun to learn the art of the blade recently. How could they compare themselves to herself: an Integrity Knight, gifted with skills in the Sacred Arts beyond compare, training in the sword before she reached her adolescence. It was the duty of the strong to protect the weak, or else all the weak would inevitably perish all too soon. Those who were gifted had the moral obligation to help those who did not receive this privilege, and if they did not, they were complete unworthy cowards.

Contemplating the weakness of her allies led Alice to recall a certain conversation she had with someone who she considered to be as strong, if not stronger, than she was herself. On the night before the Gate crumbled and disappeared, leading to the chaos that still ran true until today, she sat down with someone who had greatly changed the course of her life, through both his words and his actions.

 _You know, Alice… they aren't as weak as you make them out to be._

Kirito's words rang in her head, threatening to overturn the decision she had made in her heart. That day, she had confided in Kirito, irritated by the fact that she would be required to fly high in the sky without setting foot on the battlefield while preparing her art. Though she knew how important her role was, she still lamented over the fact that she would not be able to save those standing on the ground who may fall into trouble. They were weak, she said. They might be able to protect themselves somewhat because they had trained themselves in the art of the sword, but they would be many times safer standing beside her.

It was then that Kirito spoke those words which Alice remembered so vividly. That line, along with the words he spoke afterwards, managed to convince her to let go of her anxieties about not standing on the battlefield itself. The situation that Alice found herself in right now… it was remarkably similar to the one she had experienced before the battle had even begun. While it may be true that the soldiers of the Human Empire Defence Army were weak compared to the Integrity Knights, they held within them their own strength. The strength to volunteer themselves to face the enemy head on in this forsaken place; the strength to go through hellish training, learning to use a sword and fight alongside their companions. Even physically, Alice had personally seen the growth of some of these individuals. For those who had never held a sword in their lives until a few weeks ago, their strength was magnificent. The improvement in their skill had been so rapid that even Alice was envious at times.

 _Kirito, you're right. They're not weak. They can protect themselves._

Resolving herself, Alice now knew her own course of action. She would trust that while these soldiers were fleeing the battlefield, their strength would be enough to protect them, even to the point of being able to protect those who were weaker. She would believe that even without her, they would be fine. Silently, she apologized to Bercouli, since she would be disobeying his direct orders. Still, she believed that by doing so, she would be aiding her allies. Because of what she was doing, the Human Empire would be in a vastly superior position as compared to if she remained within the confines that the Dark Territory had established.

"Flowers, bloom!"

Unleashing a savage attack, Alice first blew away the goblins who had delivered the knowledge of the term "Radiant Medium" to her. Next, with the petals continuing to rampage, they flew to both Alice's left and right, piercing through the bodies of a few other goblins. Their lifeless corpses were thrown to the side, before rapidly beginning to fade away. The first step was complete. A bit of space had opened up between soldiers who were standing beside Alice. Stepping forward, she could now attack without fear of one of her petals accidentally harming any of her allies.

Forming the petals of her sword into a wide arrowhead, she commanded it to race forward. Whether the goblins and orcs would suffer the attack or dodge, Alice did not care. No matter what, it would open a gap in the encirclement, which would allow Alice to race out and head to the forest. Just as it seemed that the bodies of the goblins and orcs would collide with the petals of the Osmanthus Blade, her enemies ducked and rolled to avoid a certain death sentence. Fear now settling on the faces before her, Alice tensed her legs as she prepared to bound forward.

 _Would it not look like I am abandoning the soldiers around me to flee, by myself, into the depths of this forest?_

Alice now realized a flaw in her plans – she could easily escape through this gap without any issues, but it would be difficult for anyone else to make it through. She would be leaving behind those who had thought the south route was the true escape plan. What would these people think of her? Any respect they could have had for her would instantly vanish without a trace. One of the strongest fighters on the battlefield, running away all the while leaving the others to suffer and die – this kind of scene would turn Alice into a villain in their eyes, a far cry from the image of reverence and respect she currently held.

There was no time to explain the true plan, and bringing along anyone other than herself would hamper her movements and effectiveness. It would also become one additional person to protect; one more person who could lose their lives. Even if the people around her did not understand, Alice would not let that bother her. What she was doing could save so many other lives, so she wouldn't let the destruction of her own image stand in the way of this crucial mission.

Because of Alice's short hesitation, the gap which had initially been created had already been filled in by the same bodies who had once made up that wall. Pulling back the petals towards herself, Alice watched as those golden orbs rushed in from behind her enemies, before swiftly piercing each and every one of them through their chest. Strangled cries erupted as they choked on their own blood, before quickly falling to the ground all while writhing in agony. This time, Alice did not wait. Not even lingering until the petals had all returned to the sheath of her blade, she pounced forward, cutting down the lone survivor of her previous attack. Without even taking a moment to turn her eyes to see the path of carnage she herself had carved out on the battlefield, Alice sprinted off to the south, heading towards the deep woods.

As she ran, she could hear the cries of goblins and orcs, as well as feeling the intense rumbling caused by the hundreds who were on her tail. Because it was completely dark, she had to rely on a Luminous Element to lead the way, but this also acted as a lamp would for moths. It would be impossible for her to stumble about only using the light that filtered through the lush treetops, and the fact that she was attracting large hordes of the Dark Territory's army to her was also fulfilling her plan to its utmost limits. Right now, she certainly did not want to exit the forest, and besides, she had no intentions of specifically heading anywhere. Wandering around here would be her best bet; maybe after a while, she would extinguish the Luminous Element she held in her hand, then go on a rampage, attacking everything that she could sense movement from.

If the Dark Territory knew she was here, then considering that this emperor of the Dark Territory wanted to capture her, they would certainly divert much of their attention onto this forest. Until the rays of Solus were bright enough to once again penetrate through the dense canopy, Alice would be free to move around, nearly immune to capture. However, she would have to consider a means of escaping this place when light once again reached the ground. Based on sheer numbers alone, she wouldn't be able to get out without being captured. And if she were to fall to that fate… Alice wasn't sure what to expect. In fact, she didn't even want to think about that possibility since it would only dull her senses and distract her from her current mission.

No matter what, she had to remain free until at least daybreak. Using guerilla tactics, she would whittle down those of the Dark Territory who had foolishly stepped into the forest in pursuit of her. When the night was over, she would think of her next steps then.

Taking a few more paces forward, Alice silently ended the art which had kept the Luminous Element in her hand activated, and slipped away in the night. When the light was extinguished, the ones chasing her let out confused sounds. Now that they were trapped, Alice could carry out her execution. Taking a deep breath to compose herself, she unsheathed her sword, ready to attack anything that moved.

* * *

A sudden thinning of the encirclement right around where she was surprised Scheta. She knew that Alice had also been stationed here, mostly as a distraction, but she had never imagined the pure effectiveness of this young knight. Alice's strength was already well known to the rest of the knights – ranking her in terms of pure power, she would only be behind Bercouli and Fanatio, the first two knights. However, it had never occurred to her that it would be possible to demolish the lines of those surrounding them to such a degree.

Scheta was a rather tall woman, though her slim stature often made others mistake her for being weak. This was absolutely not the case, as her Black Lily Sword, along with her own strength, was capable of cutting through _anything_. Through all her years serving as an Integrity Knight, she had never encountered anything or anyone who could withstand the swing of her Divine Instrument. Even in the years before she obtained this weapon, her ability to cut was second to none. Its slender blade, shaped much like her own body, could cleave through anything like a hot knife pressed down on butter. The savagery of her swings had incited the goblins standing in front of her to back off slightly, fear now clearly wrought across their faces. This bit of space, combined with her greater than average height, allowed her to see beyond the encirclement. The sight that was welcomed by her eyes both confused and shocked her: hundreds of the Dark Territory's soldiers had begun to stream off into the forest, venturing into that unknown, chasing after something she could not see.

Even though so many had left to head south, the encirclement felt just as claustrophobic. The Dark Territory simply had such a large advantage in terms of pure manpower that the situation felt exactly as it did before. No… the pressure was easing off just the slightest bit now. The situation was no longer as hopeless as it had been a few minutes ago. If everyone gave a full effort in the next moment, then surely a gap could be forced open. The only problem was that this gap was not part of the plan, so Scheta was unsure what would come to pass if this hole was ever created.

Nevertheless, Scheta ignored the unforeseen development that the Dark Territory would become so enamoured with something that they would immediately abandon their posts. She continued to perform her duty exactly as her role was spelt out to be. Continuing to aimlessly swing her sword around, even more limbs were severed, and armour shredded and torn. Scheta didn't pay much attention to her surroundings, as she was somewhat indifferent to even her allies. It was just the type of person she was. That wasn't to say she wouldn't help anyone who was in a dire situation; it only meant that she wouldn't be paying much attention to them as they fought their own battles.

Her Black Lily Sword, despite being a mere cen in diameter, possessed priority high above anything else, allowing it to be the ultimate cutting tool. Its incredible sharpness prevented it from being shattered by anything, and it also rendered any protection useless. Unlike other swordsmen, Scheta did not have to worry about where her sword hit her enemy. Anywhere was fine because it could cut through anything. And that's why it surprised her when her swings began to feel more laboured. She knew it wasn't due to her fatigue; no matter how tired she became, it would not change the properties of her sword. The tool she carried would continue to slice through everything as if nothing existed. What she had just experienced was the feeling of something which could not be cut in half on a moment's notice.

Small bits of excitement and curiosity creeped up in Scheta's mind, trying to discover what had caused her blade to feel some resistance. Tracing back the trajectory of her sword, her eyes rested upon a human being. One who did not wear the armour given to all the soldiers of the Human Empire Defence Army, nor held any weapon in his one remaining hand. Instead, his fist was clenched tight and eyes widened, realizing what had happened to his arm. At once, Scheta could tell who her opponent now was – the pugilists had come to the battlefield.

She had heard rumours about these denizens of the Dark Territory. Being one of the humanoid races, they were the ones who staked everything on their bodies alone. Training to raise their bodies to the pinnacle of physical condition, they would beat down their enemies with their bare fists and nothing else. Despite how weapons had been created in order to aid the efficiency of war, these individuals had instead opted to use only the bodies they were given to fight. Evidently, it was not anything to scoff at; even after all the wars in the Dark Territory during the Age of Blood and Iron, the Pugilist Guild continued to survive and even thrive.

To feel like she had to put in effort when she swung her sword, this was a feeling of exhilaration that Scheta had not felt in over a century. Ever since she had received the Black Lily Sword from Administrator, her slices had become completely effortless. Perhaps that was her biggest regret about accepting this gift from the highest minister. While it satiated her desire to cut anything and everything, it took away from the process of cutting. Her entire life, she had told herself that though she was interested in cutting things apart, she had never _enjoyed_ doing that. This was a barefaced lie since the first day she had first cut another human being – the time she brutally murdered every single one of her opponents in the Four Empires Unity Tournament.

The records of that event were so inhuman that any records of it even happening were erased and destroyed. The spectators who had been in attendance of the event had their memories overwritten by Administrator. Implanted with false memories of a brilliant female swordswoman who had carried herself through the contest with her agility and grace, someone who did not overwhelm their opponents, instead using her wits to gain the advantage. The only ones who were aware of Scheta's true nature were the Integrity Knights themselves. The entire time that she lived as a knight, Scheta was somewhat avoided by the other knights, and she acted in a similar manner. These knights feared the vicious murderer that Scheta could become at any moment, and Scheta did not want to attract any unnecessary attention towards herself. For fear of having to be called into a duel, in which she could, once again, brutally murder her opponent in much the same process that had granted her the title of Integrity Knight.

Eventually, after receiving her divine weapon from the Pontifex herself, she was called into a duel with a fellow Integrity Knight. The result was exactly as Scheta expected. Her opponent's life was completely snuffed out, body parts strewn about on the arena floor. After that, she requested that she be put into hibernation. It was not out of remorse for killing someone who had lived their entire life to protect the Human Empire, nor out of fear that the other knights who were rather close to this individual would strive to take revenge on her. No, it was simply out of pure resignation. The inevitable had happened, and to prevent it from occurring again, she chose to lock herself away so it would not be possible.

But she had eventually been awoken by Bercouli himself, in this time of great need for the Human Empire. This time, she resolved herself to be a proper Integrity Knight worthy of her title, but these short few days on the battlefield had aroused the beast she had tried to stow away deep in her heart. It was as if nothing had changed, even though she had been asleep for many decades. And now, the feeling of needing to exert herself to cut stirred her up even more. That pugilist's face was still glued on his missing arm, while Scheta turned away, only interested in finding her next target.

Upon seeing their comrade's pained look, the other pugilists roared as they rushed forward in her defence. Instantly, from all sides, Scheta was bombarded with fists which could snap swords and shatter armour. But her sword reigned supreme despite the completely disadvantageous situation which was laid out for her. Her strikes were no longer effortless, but she had enough energy in her body continue swinging down, causing limbs to fly off in different directions before their force could be transferred to her own body. The feeling of slight resistance was blissful; it allowed Scheta to once regain that all-consuming desire to cut everything around her.

As pugilists continued to swarm her in an effort to bring her down, Scheta continued to let her arm move to its own tempo, striking down anyone who came near her. For some odd reason, she could never find herself killing one of these pugilists. Looking around at the carnage she herself had created, she could only find those who were missing their arms or legs. Never once did she deal a killing blow. She had no reason to spare these people, seeing as she had, without hesitation, even cut down one of the Integrity Knights she served with. The ones her sword cleaved down upon were supposedly her enemies, though as usual, Scheta neither felt disdain nor respect for them. It looked as if sparing their lives was a pitiable act, but Scheta felt the opposite. It might be that her true nature was showing, as she wanted each and every single one to witness their fellow allies suffer the same fates as they themselves did.

Soon, her surroundings were filled with nothing but injured fighters, not only their bodies broken but their spirits as well. Having prided themselves in having bodies so sturdy they could easily snap knives with their bare hands, they lost limbs to a sword, a ridiculously thin one at that. Using any semblance of logic, their fists should have been the ones to tear that sword to shreds, instead it was the opposite that occurred. Their bodies, which had been trained since birth to repel all sorts of bladed weapons, completely defeated by what they had strived to overcome. Even if they could still physically fight, their minds would no longer allow them to bring themselves to their feet.

Not far from this scene of dismemberment, another seasoned veteran of war was only just coming to the battlefield. Though not as old as Scheta was, he himself had experienced a comparable amount of battles – since the races of the Dark Territory were almost never at peace. As the chief of the Pugilist Guild, it was a given that he would lead his people in battle. However, he had gotten a bit caught up in the mountain that he was crossing, so therefore he was one of the last ones to arrive on the battlefield. His impatience was clear, as he had left everyone who crossed the mountain with him completely behind in the dust. His fists itched to pummel his enemies, and he had finally arrived at the scene where his guild-mates stood. And the sight that met him was not one which would glorify the greatness of the pugilists, but instead one where he could hear painful moans and smell the spilt blood of his comrades.

Seeing this scene, Iskahn was filled with rage. The fighters he _himself_ had trained, those who had worked hard their entire lives to give the Pugilist Guild some of the best territory in the Dark Territory, as well as those who slaved to maintain that status quo. By this one slender woman, they were being cut down, and their pride utterly trampled upon. The ones writhing on the ground may never recover, remaining crippled both in body and spirit for the rest of their lives.

 _This woman… this_ bitch _just wants to keep them alive in this agony! I'm gonna tear both her and that sword apart!_

Iskahn rapidly approached the battlefield, murder streaming through his heart. When he was close enough to clearly see Scheta's face, he bellowed out.

"Don't get cocky, you bitch!"

Kicking onto ground hard enough to produce a giant crack, he fiercely charged – past the sword laying on the ground, past some fighters who he knew by name. Flames erupted on his taut right fist as though they were the scorching fury itself. He punched straight at the neck of the gray Integrity Knight. Sparks flew from his fist, creating a blazing tail in the air along its path. It was meant to be a punch of absolute priority, one which would crush everything in its path. At that very moment, Scheta looked up to the young man barrelling towards her; she tried to block Iskahn's punch with her gauntleted left hand.

 _To my punch… all armour is nothing more than a sheet of paper!_

The strike engorged with Incarnation smashed straight into Scheta's palm, spraying out blinding sparks in all directions. Immediately, the gray gauntlet covering Scheta's hand shattered with a deafening crack, the armour pieces from her arm to her shoulder all shredded and blown away. Countless cuts now running across the smooth, white skin of her exposed left arm, droplets of blood flew into the air like grains of sand. However, Iskahn did not feel any bones breaking, despite the considerable force he had put into that one punch. In fact, Scheta only frowned slightly, ignoring what should have been excruciating pain.

Left hand still holding on to Iskhan's right fist, Scheta firmly gripped her sword, flashing it towards the arm held firmly in her grasp. With a high metallic ringing, sparks once again burst from the contact between metal and skin. Unlike most of the other Dark Territory races, those of the Pugilist Guild not only fought unarmed, but without any protection. Only wrapping their bodies with belts, they completely exposed their skin, giving rise to this absolute confidence that they themselves were invulnerable to all blades. By remaining so lightly dressed, their Incarnation would be displayed to full effect.

Iskahn attempted to deflect the black blade that was now about to cut through his right arm by sheer willpower alone. However, the feeling that greeted him was nearly enough to shake his concentration. The dense frigidity he felt from the blade contacting the point of his elbow was completely different than any other sword he had encountered in the past, all of which he had easily deflected with his bare skin. The paper-thin sword was not just cold, hard steel; it represented will. Instead of a desire for victory, Iskahn could find nothing else but a thirst for division.

Sensing this abnormality, Iskahn instinctively punched with his free left fist. Shattering the air, the punch pierced the space where Scheta stood only a moment ago. With her impressive agility, which even surprised Iskahn, she was able to dodge the strike. However, complete evasion was impossible. The punch managed to barely graze her gray chest plate, which shattered into the night exactly as her gauntlet had. Though Iskahn was able to destroy Scheta's equipment, he did not get off without a scratch. On his inner elbow, where the point of the Black Lily Sword had met his skin, a very shallow cut formed. A single tiny droplet of blood slowly beaded out from its center. It was only a drop – but that drop was proof enough that Iskahn was unable to fully stop Scheta's blade. In other words, the will to cut had surpassed the will to be uncuttable.

Quickly hopping two steps back, Iskahn inspected his right arm, now marred by a single cut. The first time in many years that Iskahn had even had a glimpse of his own blood, but he did not let it bother him at all. Instead, the young pugilist grinned while licking the singular blood drop away, all the while savouring the mellow metallic taste.

"...Hey, bitch. You're quite different on the inside, aren't you? Really different than what you look like on the outside."

With a slight frown, Scheta frowned while responding in a rather gentle and soft voice.

"...I should be older than you…"

"Huh? Of course you are. You freakish Integrity Knights are monsters who don't get old for decades, even centuries, right? But hey, you want me to call you granny? I'm game for that."

Below her eyes, Scheta's blank face twitched slightly, before quickly returning to a state of plain dispassion.

"...I forgive you. You are very hard. I can barely see where I can slice."

"Tch… What the hell are you talking about?"

The offbeat attitude of the knight in front of him worked to weaken Iskahn's fighting spirit. It was a first-time experience coming across an opponent who had so little passion. The change in tempo unintentionally worked to lower his guard against his opponent. But taking a quick look around seeing the pugilists on the ground, he instantly recovered his anger, reinvigorating his fighting spirit. _His_ pugilists, painfully moaning all the while missing parts of their body, despite how this despicable knight clearly had enough skill to take their lives as well, not to mention the quality of her blade.

"...So you treat us like wood dummies for your sword practice. Absolutely unforgivable… I'm gonna beat you down until you're nothing but a bitch pulp!"

With their leader's impassioned shout, the remaining active pugilists quickly followed the steps of their Martial Dance; fierce war cries overlapped with their stamping on the ground. Their ferocious stomping vibrating the air, the Pugilists greatly intensified their Incarnation. Drops of sweat flew off their copper-coloured skin, now transforming into flying, blazing sparks. However, none of this fazed Scheta; she remained unmoved, as if she were waiting for Iskahn to reach the state of his maximum power.

Seeing this, Iskahn's blood boiled to even greater extents, sending his body into a state of overdrive. Flames roared from his reddish golden hair, and blinding light effused from both of his hands, as he himself became an instant light source for the battle happening around him. Scheta, his opponent and the only human being in his sight at the current moment, remained persistently calm. In her right hand, the pitch-black super-slim sword was giving off a freezing energy. Iskahn felt a slight chill wrap around the small of his back, but he instantly leapt forward without letting it affect the strength of his Incarnation.

"Here I come, you bitch! You better not be underestimating me!"

Setting the air ablaze with the force and speed of his movement, Iskahn instantly closed the distance between himself and Scheta in a straight line, devoid of any lateral movement. As he readied his fist to strike a blow at the female knight's face, Scheta effortlessly swung the sword in her right hand; a whistling sound came forth as the sword sliced through the air itself to head towards Iskahn's shoulder. However, there was a flicker of movement, right before the fine black line touched Iskahn's shoulder.

Faster than the sword that swung earlier than he could launch his punch, Iskahn was able to strike Scheta's left leg. Not with a punch, but rather with a kick. His right foot shot up, hitting the gray leg guard directly with his toes. But with astonishingly quick reflexes, Scheta was able to stop the course of her sword swing and lean forward, avoiding a fall. The force of the kick did completely and immediately shatter the left leg guard, as well as tearing the shirt around her waist; exposing her toned yet slim legs.

"Don't think that all we pugilists do is punch!"

With a confident grin plastered on his face, Iskahn began a high kick with his left leg. In response, Scheta turned her wrist trying to parry the kick with her sword. The instant that the blade and the leg clashed, a deafening crack was accompanied by a shower of blazing sparks. Iskahn quickly pulled his left leg back, feeling a sharp pain, and then suddenly thrust his right fist forward. His fist bathed in crimson flames which glowed in the night, the strike hit Scheta's chest plate squarely in the middle.

The aftermath of this quick exchange was an almighty explosion which propelled the two combatants away from each other. Iskahn backflipped in midair and landed on the ground, while Scheta used her left hand as a pivot to somersault and land on her feet gracefully, not even kicking up any dust. The two once again inspected their wounds. Iskahn's leg stabbed with pain again, and he saw the rock-hard shin which could easily bend a steel bar gouged in a straight line, with dark red blood flowing out and dripping on the ground. Scheta had lost her left leg guard and chest plate in the exchange, along with having some of her clothing torn off with the force of the impacts. Not that she cared about her skin being exposed for others to see, but she was still somewhat surprised at the strength of both the punch itself and the Incarnation which fuelled it.

"Now you look more like a fighter, but there just aren't enough muscles. Go eat some food and train more, bitch."

Iskahn heard the Pugilists standing behind him jeering at her, while he himself readily steeled his emotions. Being shown his blood running down his dust-covered leg caused the Incarnation around his body to flicker for a moment, as he wondered how it was possible that he could have been slashed to such an injury. At the peak of his Incarnation, yet still having his skin ripped apart by that weak-looking sword. Though to the other pugilists who stood behind him, this flickering could be mistaken for intense feelings of anger, Iskahn knew better – he could feel the slightest bits of fear creeping up on him. Of course, it was nothing compared to when the Ten Lords met with His Majesty Emperor Vector, where his absolute power was put on display for all to see. No, Iskahn, in all his life, had firmly believed that his body was something no sword could penetrate, even if the one swinging that blade down at him was the strongest swordsman he knew, the Dark Knight Leader Viksul Ur Shasta.

While Iskahn mulled over his fears and concerns, Scheta calmly tore off a hanging piece of cloth from her left shoulder and raised the sword in her right hand, before flexing her wrist and swinging it down, cutting through the air which had just begun to settle after the previous exchange of blows these two master fighters had thrown at each other.

"...But… you've become a bit softer just now."

In his heart, Iskahn knew these words rang true. He _had_ become a little bit softer. That first drop of blood had weakened the basis of his Incarnation, his belief that he was completely uncuttable. Even though he did his very best to instill his earlier feeling back into the roots of his body, the little voice of doubt floated around, circling his mind completely unhindered. It was inescapable; even if he tricked himself into once again trusting in the invulnerability of his body, it would never change the fact that he had seen himself being cut, as well as seeing the blood that flowed out of it. What Iskahn was unaware of, even up until this point, was that the coming of the Dark Emperor Vector into the halls of Obsidia's castle had begun the downfall of his Incarnation's strength. Witnessing the arrival of this immensely strong individual, who Iskahn knew from just a glance could not be defeated by someone like himself, had been like a pebble dropped into a perfectly calm pond. His concentration had been disturbed, and though those ripples would eventually die out, it did not change the fact that his eternal state of pure concentration had, for the first time in years, been interrupted. The actions of Scheta had only acted as more debris being tossed into that pond; now small waves were beginning to crest, with nothing to stop these ripples from spreading.

Yet Iskahn knew that he could not let his internal struggles be known to his underlings. His position as their leader hung in the balance – his weakness had already been exposed, and they had seen their leader, who they once thought of having near absolute power and confidence, stumble for the first time. Any more unease from Iskahn would severely damage the morale of the other pugilists who had witnessed this scene. For the first time ever, Iskahn lamented over the fact that he _was_ the chief of his guild, but knew he could do nothing but continue to put on his perfect show of acting.

"...What kind of shit are you saying?"

His feral growl barely stood out amongst the other sounds remaining on the battlefield, but the passion and drive in it still got through to both Scheta and the other pugilists. Even though he was bluffing with his expression, Iskahn could feel his breaths becoming slightly quicker. His anger coursed through his veins, giving much needed power and drive to all parts of his body. He could _feel_ the parts of his body which had become the slightest bit softer now regain their previous strength. The determination seeded in that one single sentence was so infectious that even the other pugilists could feel that same strength invading their bodies.

"There's no turning back… I'm gonna show you all I've got!"

Howling like a wolf, Iskahn jabbed his index finger, with blood from his leg smeared all over it, at the female knight who he had mentally declared was a truly worthy opponent.

"So show me yours as well, bitch! Don't give me that shitty sleep face!"

This sudden outburst, this declaration of war – Scheta was confused by it all. She could not understand someone's desire to fight, especially not someone as brash and headstrong as Iskahn. But at the very least, she did know how to feel excitement. And while her excitement stemmed from something completely different than Iskahn's enthusiasm about facing a wondrous enemy, she was somewhat eager to finally find something which she could not cut through. Scheta touched her own cheeks and the middle of her forehead with her left hand as she felt her eyebrows' angle change into a slightly fiercer look.

"Bring it on… please."

"... Yeah, bring it on."

Inhaling deeply, Iskahn put his left fist to his waist, pointing his right at his opponent, and then noisily exhaled into the air. As he recited the rough breathing patterns of the Martial Dance, he realized how much of a mistake it would be to follow the pace of his enemy. Iskahn doubted that she was intentionally fighting at a pace completely unbefitting of himself, rather her own nature would only allow her to act in that manner. Replaying the steps of his tribe's Martial Dance worked to refocus his mind, channeling energy through his body and gathering it in his fist. Crimson blazing flames gradually shone yellow, and eventually turned bluish white.

Scheta faced him sideways, extending her left hand to the front with her thumb and fingers neatly lined up, then swinging down the fine sword in her right hand behind her. Having her arms aligned in a completely straight line, it gave the feeling of strength like a catapult prepared to launch with full power. The tension in Iskahn was so immense that he felt like he was already splitting into half, from his head all the way down to his stomach. And yet, he could do nothing but grin with excitement filling his entire body. He was _burning up_.

Both he and Scheta moved at the exact same moment: the knight's sword drawing a pitch-black crescent curve in the air, and the pugilist's fist becoming a bluish white comet. At the instant that they collided, powerful shockwaves exploded outward, cracking the ground on their way. The remaining pugilists who had surrounded the two were blown backwards without any resistance. The sword and the fist were only meeting at the size of a needle's tip, yet the battle between them was more intense than any other fighting that had happened on the battlefield today. Surpassing even the limits of physical possibility, the compressed power between bone and metal shot forth into a beam of light, bursting into the night sky.

Normally, with Scheta's combat skills, she could have, and would have defeated her opponent without this kind of stupid competition of brute strength. Iskahn's Incarnation, which was surprisingly at the level of a high-ranking Integrity Knight like herself, had concentrated itself completely on his fist, leaving the other parts of his body to become rather soft in comparison. If she evaded the straight punch and moved to the side, she could have cut his head off right away. However, that was not her choice of action; instead countering her opponent's white-blue glowing fist head-on. There was no rationale to this decision: she was simply following the desire of both her body and her sword.

Scheta was rather confused by this herself. Since over a hundred years ago, she had already realized that she had none of an Integrity Knight's appraised mental qualities, such a pride or nobility. She would only slice because she wanted to, and that was all she desired. But to her, "slice" was to mean the same thing as "kill". Whenever she had been assigned with the mission of securing the End Mountains, she could release her true self – ending countless lives of Dark Knights or Goblins mercilessly by slicing through them. Often, it was not merely a merciful cut through their necks: Scheta always put her best efforts to cut _through_ their bodies, cleaving the length of their bodies, including any and all armour they were wearing. It was her desire to cut that prevented her from taking the easy way out and cutting Iskahn through the neck; the feeling that stemmed both from the will of her blade, as well as her own.

 _This is fun. His fist is so tough. Harder than anything I've ever tried cutting through. Can I cut it in half?_

Iskahn could spot the thin and almost colourless lips of the enemy knight stretching into a smile across her face. And he could clearly understand that the smile was not a disgrace to him, nor the fight. And that was because it was the same exact reason he had a smile plastered on his own face.

A small vibration could be felt from within his fist; it was not because of any cracks on the opponent's black sword, but it was due to the fracturing bones of his own fist. If his fist had been completely cut, then for sure, the black, slim sword would cut his entire body in half as well.

 _It's no good, even this can't get through huh. But, well, that's how it works. I won't get to meet such a great opponent like her a second time. This wouldn't be a half-bad way to die._

Right at the moment when he thought this and was about to close his eyes to embrace the coming of his death, the pressure on his fist was released in a single moment. At once, he was blown away from his opponent the knight, immediately ending the fight. Looking up in surprise, Iskahn tried to collect his bearings and figure out what occurred. But all he could see was the silhouette of a large man who had tried to slip between the two. Evidently, this man, who Iskahn instantly recognized, had reached in and thrown him aside before his final fate could swallow him whole. Despite how his life had been saved, Iskahn felt a spark of anger seeing this familiar form.

"Dampe, you bastard! Look at what you've done!"

"Time's up, Champion."

The vice chief's deep voice resounded against the dusty ground, as he slightly opened his eyes that were normally almost closed. Standing up and raising his muscular right arm, he pointed it towards the east. As Iskahn, and now Scheta, who had also been flabbergasted at the sudden intrusion to their contest of brute strength, followed the trace of Dampe's arm, they could see the encirclement buckling, but not because the Dark Territory had pushed through – rather, the Human Empire was retreating as quickly as it could.

Scheta was of course aware of why this was happening, and to her it meant that the second part of the plan was to be put into action momentarily. As such, she raised her hand and broadcasted to the skies a specific signal. However, for Iskahn and the rest of the pugilists, this retreat caught them all off guard. After all, they thought that the entirety of the Human Empire's troops had been boxed in, leaving them with no escape. As Iskahn swept his eyes towards the west, he was faintly able to see the small gap which had now formed; a leak in their perfect encirclement which was supposed to seal in the last dredges of resistance before the entirety of the Human Empire's lands, and its beings, would belong to them.

At that very moment, an even larger silhouette rained down into Iskahn's vision – something with a set of massive wings, carrying a body covered in nigh impenetrable scales. It was a sight that Iskahn only saw whenever the leader of the Dark Knights arrived at Obsidia: a majestic dragon who ruled the skies. Soundlessly swooping down, the dragon dragged its scaly wings through the ranks of the Dark Territory, bringing a noisy and messy end to several tens of soldiers with a single sweep. Panicked cries arose from those who had not been taken out by the dragon on its first pass, as they could see it rearing its head to do it again. With his eyes torn between the battle in front and behind him, Iskahn briefly caught sight of Scheta motioning to a few other armoured members of the Human Empire's army.

"Retreat! Fall back, fall back!"

While behind Iskahn was the chaos of a dragon raging destruction, in front of him was the sight of his enemies fleeing, including the knight who had been his strongest ever opponent.

"Hey you! Tell me your name before you run away like a little bitch!"

"...I'm not running away… and umm… could you please stop with that 'bitch' thing? I am… Scheta Synthesis Twelve."

Saying that final line before quickly backpedalling to bring up the rear of the retreating humans, Iskahn yelled to her before turning around to deal with the dragon now terrorizing the back of his troops.

"I'm Iskahn! Champion of the Pugilist Guild! We'll meet again, and next time I swear I'll shatter your sword!"

Not waiting to see her reaction, Iskahn turned around to deal with the more pressing matter of the dragon. He knew that he would have to work with the goblins and orcs speckled around his pugilists to drive it off, or else there might not be a next time for him.

* * *

 **A/N**

At last, the battle at the Great Eastern Gate is complete, and the retreat is on! After all, I didn't think it would be realistic to expect the Human Empire to hold out forever. They're seriously undermanned, and not to mention, the Dark Territory has some incredibly strong forces as well. And Alice is now lost in the woods! Well, not really lost, but I felt that her will to take responsibility fit her character nicely. She'll be off doing her own thing, but I definitely won't neglect to tell her story too.

For you novel readers out there, you might have noticed that a lot of this chapter is parroted from the actual novel (the Scheta and Iskahn fight). It just felt like the right time to have them meet (hence the chapter title), and I really do like this pairing and the dynamic between them. I feel like a very similar direction will be taken in this story. I also want to say that I despise some of these "official" translated names. Like instead of "Radiant Medium", they say "Priestess of Light". Vector is Vecta (why Yen Press) and best of all, D.I.L. is Dee Eye Ell. All hail official translations. I'll try to be consistent in using the fan translated names, but I may choose between the two options here and there.

As I write this story, I find it deviating more and more from its original outline. I had the entire story planned out and written down, but it seems that every chapter I write takes me further and further away. Honestly, this is what I prefer because things feel more organic, but I've got to draw the line somewhere, right? After all, I don't want to end up on a different World Line (hahaha, anyone get that reference?).

See y'all in the next chapter. Next chapter: Descent. You can take a guess at what's going down (literally).


	13. Chapter 12 - Descent

_**Chapter 12 – Descent**_

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11/13/380

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Naturally, the only way one would think to escape a full encirclement would be to puncture it at one location, and then hope that as many of their forces could escape before the gap could be plugged up again. But in that scenario, what would happen to those who remained trapped inside? What about those who had managed to escape? Would they abandon their comrades, who were not as fortunate as they themselves were? And even if they did flee, what guarantee would there be that their enemies would not pursue them? Though no longer surrounded, they would most likely be outnumbered again, as well as being exhausted from finally breaking through. In the end, this kind of scenario would never turn out well for the side which was being completely enclosed.

And because the Integrity Knights knew this, they had not staked the survival of the Human Empire on this future. Their true goal was far more ambitious, and at the same time, much less likely to occur. However, they had no choice but to try something that at least had some chance of working, rather than a plan that could definitely be accomplished, yet would never yield the results they wanted.

The first step was to have all non-combatants successfully evacuated. Making use of the many carriages they had with them in the camp, they were able to load up all the sick and wounded, as well as the supplies brought in from all parts of the Empire. It was inevitable that some of these things would have to be left behind, but they brought as much as possible, without overloading the carriages. Any non-combatant personnel would then drive, or ride, these wagons out of the camp. One of the biggest problems with this would be the fact that not many had experience driving wagons. But there was no alternative, and they would have to be thrown into it – their first experience would be in a life or death situation.

Thus when the gap first opened up, and the wagons finally reached it, many of the ones in the guiding seats were terrified. Their bodies had completely stiffened up, as they struggled to not do anything that may have thrown the horse off-course. They only needed to go straight through, then they would be free from the hell that they left behind. They may have had friends who were still fighting on the front lines, or even some who had already left them without their knowledge, but it was now the time to be absolutely selfish, and cherish the opportunity to live to see another day.

It was easier said than done, however, as one would not be able to drive a carriage with only a few words of instruction from someone who was experienced. Before even taking off, the horses were already riled up, parroting the panic in the humans who were rushing around to quickly load up anything and everything that they could. In this frenzied state, the animals were completely overlooked which turned out to be a major mistake, since as soon as the horses were released, they pounced forward, completely out of control. Only the few who had driven carriages many times in their lives were able to rein in their horses. Others… were not so fortunate; the wheels of their wagons being caught and causing the entire structure to flip over. Even before the gap created by Bercouli's group was in sight, there were many with wagons which could no longer move.

A mess of wood and flesh lay on the ground all throughout the path leading due west. Not one of the passersby, all on their own carriages, stopped to help those injured on the ground, instead choosing to speed past them to head to their destination. Even if some of them wished to stop and help, the frenzied nature of the animals tasked with moving the wagons would not let it happen. Still, the majority managed to speed their way to the westernmost part of the camp, and with that, they had their first glimpse of freedom.

Breaking open the gap itself was already a feat in itself, but holding it open wide enough for multiple carriages to pass through was absolutely impossible. At best, two or three could pass by, barely scraping by each other. At worst, not even the body of one horse could make it through without running over some of the soldiers in the Human Empire Defence Army. To make matters worse, the ogres were trying to go around the soldiers holding open the passage, rather than running through them to crush them in between. This lengthened the protrusion jutting out from the west side of the encirclement, and was also spreading out the already few troops who were struggling to provide a way out for the supplies. At this rate, this gap would vanish without a trace, leaving everyone and everything once again trapped inside.

That was, unless the daring riders stuck on the inside decided to smash through both friendly and enemy forces. Even then, there was no guarantee that this would be a decent solution. These carriages were never meant to traverse anything other than flat ground or paved stones; running them past lines of flesh and armour would certainly destroy their mechanisms. It seemed like these impatient riders would only be able to wait until some sort of opening came about again. Until then, they were stuck watching the battle unfold before their eyes.

Surging forward, the forces of the Dark Territory strained to maintain the closed gap, only to be struck down by flashes of light reaching far into the sky before penetrating their bodies. Arriving from the other side of the encirclement, flaming arrows rained down, now sprouting from the ground as if fiery red candles were being lit in rapid succession. Whether they suffered piercings or burns, one after another the ogres cried out in pain before rapidly succumbing to their injuries.

Wave after wave of these arrows poured down on the unsuspecting heads of the Dark Territory, who were now scrambling to raise whatever coverings they could find over their heads to protect themselves from the downpour of fiery wood and metal. Their eyes turned to the sky to find the little gaps between the arrows; the enemies they had only just been fighting against less than a minute ago were now completely ignored. As these dumbfounded soldiers of the Human Empire stood stock still, they realized one thing – none of these arrows had struck one of their own. As if guided through its entire flight, these arrows managed to only wound those who were not of this land.

It didn't take long before some of them began to realize what was happening. Judging by the explosive power of these individual arrows, as well as their colour and properties, it was easy to deduce that Integrity Knight Deusolbert Synthesis Seven was the one behind all this. As if not wanting to disturb the knight's concentration in aiming only for his enemies, the generals all tactfully agreed to focus on the areas barely adjacent to Deusolbert's attack range, while leaving the main gap area all to their respected Integrity Knight.

With this torrent of arrows, the gap grew wider, as anyone who was left standing swiftly moved out of Deusolbert's concentrated area of attack. And as a result of that, the previously closing gap had become reopened, wider than it had ever been, which then allowed all the wagons carrying supplies to rush through, into the darkness.

A loud roar suddenly raced through the ranks of the Dark Territory's forces, as they tried to squeeze back towards the centre to close off the opening once again, but they were stopped by Deusolbert's arrows once again. His focus now shifted away from the centre, moving further outwards, like a fountain, its water spilling outwards in all directions. It was obvious to anyone what his intentions were: continue increasing the size of the gap to allow for the escape of all possible supply wagons. As frustrated as these ogres were, their fear of this shower of flaming arrows was enough to keep them at bay; moments of hesitation causing their feet to shuffle backwards as they noticed the next wave of arrows heading their way like a beacon of light through the dark sky.

And so, the thundering of hooves was able to cut through all the other sounds of battle, as one by one, these inexperienced drivers were able to lead the horses through the gap, escaping with both their lives and the literal lifeline of the Human Empire. But soon after the horses once again began their gallop, the waves of falling arrows suddenly halted. And with that, after barely a moment's hesitation, these unruly, agitated goblins quickly filled in the gap previously created by that shower of blazing projectiles. Bercouli's unit did their best to keep them at bay in order to keep the crucial linkage between the inside and outside open, but it was slowly getting squeezed together, back to the way the encirclement had originally been. In the end, after all that work, only a handful of riders were able to escape with their wagons and supplies, and the rest had no choice but to test their own patience even further.

But why had Deusolbert's support ended? Bercouli wondered about the situation silently, as he swung his Time Piercing Sword, working to once again enlarge that gap to the point where the wagons could pass through. At the moment, the two halves of his unit were nearly fighting back to back, and he could see a backup of wagons and their riders desperately waiting for the moment they could charge through without harming their own allies. He had never discussed with Deusolbert the notion of providing support from the other end of the encirclement, but wasn't surprised at his participation over on this front considering the man's great perception of the battlefield. Naturally, being an archer would transform someone to become like that. However, there was no reason for Deusolbert to pause his offensive when he could clearly see that there were still many riders struggling to get out.

There could only be one possibility: Deusolbert was stuck in such a battle that he could not take his eyes off the enemies right in front of him, locking his bow forward, and not giving him a chance to provide support anywhere else. It was essentially the same as running out of arrows to fire. Regardless, Bercouli knew not to expect any more support from the archer Integrity Knight, at least for the next while.

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Reaching out behind his back to his quiver, Deusolbert's fingers groped around, unable to find any feathers brushing against them. To put it simply, he had run out of arrows. His efforts to help out Bercouli's unit so that the cargo wagons could make their way out to safety had depleted his long-range fighting prowess. With his eyesight which had been built up from multiple years of serving as the sole archer in the Integrity Knights, along with how he was standing on slightly elevated ground, he was able to see that the situation did not look very promising for those soldiers who were trying to open up a path. And to his best efforts, he utilized his unique strength as a knight to aid them.

However, that had come at the cost of his own battlefront. And now having no more arrows, he had completely lost the strength of his Conflagrant Flame Bow as a ranged weapon… that was unless he unleashed his Divine Weapon's true form. But with the amount of time he had kept his weapon in the enhanced form, it was undeniable that his weapon would be drained of the rest of its Life, completely destroying it in the process. Thinking about potential future battles, he could not let that happen – unless he was prepared to throw his life away as well.

While he was supporting the other side with his long-range attacks, he did not forget where his prescribed battlefield lay, firing a few arrows here and there whenever he had the chance so that he could help those in his unit as much as he possibly could. After all, he couldn't let the enemy break through this end just because he was too preoccupied with helping on another front. Letting any significant force into the inside of the encirclement would spell disaster for his own side.

Deusolbert had to be incredibly grateful towards the soldiers who had been protecting him to the best of their abilities. To take away from the burden of being the Integrity Knight who was being targeted by the Dark Territory's troops, many of whom were either looking to snag themselves a big kill or simply neutralize a dangerous target, Deusolbert's troops had done their best to form an impenetrable wall, putting themselves in the way between their knight and the monsters who were thirsting to kill someone significant on the battlefield. And in that effort, Deusolbert had seen many sacrifice their lives, the only thing remaining of them their mangled armour and pitted swords.

And so when Deusolbert finally realized his quiver was dry, he decisively realized that though he may have enough time to create new arrows generated from steel elements through the sacred arts, there was simply a lack of resources in the air around the battlefield – all because of Alice's art a few days prior. By this time, the remaining arrows would have likely been carted off onto one of the wagons, far out of his reach. He would have no choice but to fall back on fighting with a melee weapon, travelling into the thick of things in order to make a difference.

As he approached the front lines, countless goblins rushed towards him, now seeing that he no longer held his trusty bow in hand. Obviously, a few of them wanted to get revenge for the many who Deusolbert had shot down with his bow and arrow.

"That bastard ran out of arrows like an idiot! Now he's powerless, so let's carve him up!"

In their excitement, the goblins eagerly pushed past the soldiers who had been acting as Deusolbert's last line of defence.

"We can't let them through! Sir Integrity Knight, please be careful!"

Seeing their excited faces, Deusolbert couldn't help but mock the stupidity of these goblins, who were thinking he was useless without his Divine Instrument. After all, every single Integrity Knight was a master of the sword before anything else. With any sword that he found on the ground, he would be able to easily dispatch any normal enemy.

"Laughable!"

With a single downward swing of his sword, the two goblins who had broken through the soldiers acting as Deusolbert's human shield were cleaved lifeless. A straight, beautiful gash extending from shoulder to hip, it was as if they were wearing nothing but a thin piece of cloth for armour. Not only were their bodies cut in half, so were their weapons. The axe heads that they were both carrying clattered into the dark behind Deusolbert, no longer connected to their handles. But before the spray of blood could even taint Deusolbert's armour, he was moving to his next target, heading to the front lines where the soldiers of his unit were giving it their best effort to hold off their enemy. Without a second thought, he leapt into the fray, slicing down goblins left and right, without any regard for their lives. If he could not help the supply wagons escape into the wilderness, he could at least do his best to decrease the number of enemies they had to fight.

Fortunately, Deusolbert was aware that because of the location they had initially chosen to build their camp, the mountains surrounding the pass which formerly housed the Great Eastern Gate was serving as a bottleneck, so that not all the Dark Territory's forces could swarm and join the battle. Of course, there were the ones who had made the trek up and back down the faces of the End Mountains, but even the mountains themselves would not allow for full movement of their enemy's troops. No matter what, this battle had to be ended quickly, before more forces from the mountains continued to make their way down, and before the soldiers of the Human Empire would begin to collapse from exhaustion.

To be quite honest, Deusolbert could already see his brave soldiers slowly losing their will to fight. From dawn until past dusk, they had been standing on the battlefield, without a single bit of rest, fighting for the future of their home. Not only did this happen today, but every other day they would be thrust onto the front lines to serve as the main defensive force. Though this allowed more time resting than time spent on the field, it would not be enough to heal the wounds that they had suffered. Even with the potions and elixirs brought from Centoria, wounds could only be healed to a certain extent. Not to mention that this miracle medicine, while effective, would also drain the patient's vitality; they would require much rest in order to regain their strength.

But with the already large difference in numbers between themselves and those they were pitted against, there was no choice but to have some of these wounded fight on despite their condition. Even if they were not completely healed, there was simply no other option but for them to go back on the field. Or else, there would be an insufficient number of people on the front lines. But now, their wounds would be slowly piling up, eating at their bodies bit by bit, until the constant aches and pains were too much for the body to bear. When that happened, their minds would no longer be able to concentrate on the fight in front of them, and that lapse in focus would cause them to fall at their enemy's feet.

Thus, Deusolbert was determined to use his overwhelming physical advantage to allow his soldiers to gain even the slightest opportunity for rest, so that they would not die from pure exhaustion. He prowled the front lines, wielding his sword to strike down anyone who dared come close to him or the soldiers he stood beside. And when the time came for his sword's Life to expire, he grabbed a goblin by the throat, tearing its blade from its grasp, before continuing his defensive rampage with a new blade in his hands.

Another hour had passed. The situation looked as bleak as ever, and now the stars had begun to shine in the night. There were soldiers on both sides now carrying torches, taking themselves out of the fight. But neither side really bothered to attack those who provided light to the battlefield; after all, the light was a benefit to both sides. These torches had sprung up all around the encirclement, making it a beautiful festival-like scene to look at, if only the hands of death were not grasping so tightly around the entire area. In this long time that Deusolbert had been aimlessly fighting, he had already gone through many swords, all of which he turned against the goblins he was fighting against.

The fight had become monotonous to him once again, until he felt power gather in the skies on the left side of the battlefield. Instantly, he turned his eyes towards that direction, a bit further east of where Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One should have been stationed. It was a skin-tingling feeling, one that he did not imagine himself experiencing again while at the Great Eastern Gate. It was akin to when Alice went around sucking the area dry of Sacred Power, storing it all within her sphere of mirrors. Except this time, it felt like the opposite – a huge amount of power was being released all at once.

The only ones who would be capable of releasing such a large-scale art, at least according to Deusolbert's knowledge, would be Alice, or the leader of the Dark Arts Guild, a cynical and twisted woman by the name of D.I.L. But no matter how skilled either of these two were at the Sacred Arts, it would still be impossible to release such a large amount of energy without the proper resources to do so. Deusolbert almost wanted to ignore his senses, and disregard this eerie feeling, because it would mean acknowledging something which should have been completely impossible. As he tried to refocus on the battlefield, he found that his efforts to shake off that feeling were useless; Deusolbert was confident that someone was in the process of releasing a large-scale art on a proportion that he had never witnessed before. Who it was, or what the art was, Deusolbert could not tell, nor did he have any methods of stopping it. Even if he called his dragon over at this instant, he would arrive at the Art's initiator long after it had been released. The only one who could make it in time would be Eldrie, but Deusolbert was unsure if that newest Integrity Knight had the wherewithal to sense that something was amiss.

Eldrie's strength was already well respected among all the knights, however they all knew that what he lacked was experience. Having only become an Integrity Knight not more than a year ago, the amount of times he had truly walked on the battlefield could be counted on one hand. He had incredible duelling prowess; no one could discount that against him. However, in a fight where the rules were not clearly defined, he would lose to nearly all the other Integrity Knights, save for Linel Synthesis Twenty-Eight and Fizel Synthesis Twenty-Nine, the only two Integrity Knights who had never seen the battlefield until a few days ago. And because of Eldrie's inexperience, it would naturally translate to not having much of an ability to read the intricacies of a chaotic situation.

 _But perhaps_ , Deusolbert thought, _his aptitude for the battlefield has far surpassed what I see as his limit._

Regardless, there was nothing that the seventh Integrity Knight could do about the situation. He could only hope that this art was initiated not by the enemy but rather by their third strongest knight. Even if he had his bow and had determined that it was the enemy he would be firing at, he did not know exactly what he was aiming towards. It was unlike the situation previously when he was aiding Bercouli's unit, where he was able to ascertain exactly where his targets were. The cloud of darkness was impeding even this master archer's vision, such that he was unable to find his target.

In the next moment, he saw light wafting up out of the ground from where he suspected the art was being originated. A sort of black wave, pulsating into the night. Though it was coloured even darker than the sky, in a beautifully, twisted way, it outshone everything else on the battlefield past and present, including Alice's attack of pure light. Deusolbert immediately knew that it had to be an art which had an even higher priority than what Alice had produced, or else it would not be able to shine so brightly, even though it was darker than the colour of charcoal. And at that moment, he knew: this art was not Alice's, rather it was D.I.L.'s. That woman had somehow used an unknown technique to produce a result as terrifying as this.

Terror spread through his body and seeped into his bones, seeing such a wretched formation with his eyes. Even though he was an Integrity Knight, who had served and protected the Human Empire for inhuman lengths of times, who had fought of swaths of the Dark Territory's army both in the past and now, he could not help his shivering. Just seeing _that_ , writhing like a giant worm, was enough to make him sick to the stomach. It was a worm that carried death along with it; yes, calling it a deathworm would be accurate – a disgusting, morbid curse, erupting from the ground only to devour.

Deusolbert watched as the "head" of the worm reached into the skies. For a moment, it seemed lost for directions, not knowing where to head towards. It almost looked as if it were sniffing for the right prey to devour. As it floated in the sky, Deusolbert trained his eyes closely on the ethereal beast. Instead of being one massive object, it seemed to be countless small pieces, all currently bunched up together. Neither the soldiers around him, nor the goblins facing him, had noticed the monstrosity that had just risen into the sky, and so Deusolbert had to quickly readjust himself to parry the blows from his enemies.

As he quickly dispatched the goblin who was waving his sword at him, Deusolbert took another look at the skies, unsure of what to expect. It seemed that whatever the leader of the Dark Arts Users had conjured up, it was something of extraordinary power, probably capable of easily dispatching at least a few Integrity Knights. And to make matters worse, Deusolbert knew there was nothing he could do about it. Contemplating his own powerlessness, he noticed a comparably tiny figure heading into the sky towards the cloud of black. A rider, perched halfway off his dragon, flying straight towards that fog-like monster. In shining blue armour, Deusolbert's eyes were quickly drawn to the whip that this individual carried by his side. As if the Gods had answered his prayers, Eldrie had somehow noticed something was amiss.

However, he knew that this wasn't something a single knight could take care of. In fact, he wasn't even sure that a coalition of the three strongest knights, Bercouli Synthesis One, Fanatio Synthesis Two, and Alice Synthesis Thirty, would be able to take this creature on and escape with their lives still intact. How could this one knight, who declared himself Alice's disciple, possible take on this enemy clearly leagues above what he could handle? At best, he would lose his life; at worst, he would simply become fodder for that _thing_.

At the same time that Deusolbert noticed Eldrie's figure rising up into the sky while clinging onto his dragon, he noticed movement from the deathworm in the sky. Somehow or another, it seemed like they had found their target of choice. Piercing down like a ray of blackness, the heads began to split. Deusolbert could see them spreading out, like a wave of tiny insects readying themselves to devour whatever lay in their path.

But before they could fully spread out, a brilliant silver light shone out from a piece of the sky next to the deathworm. Pure brilliance juxtaposed the radiance of absolute darkness. And then from that light, came countless strands flowing from Eldrie's arm, specifically the whip he carried in his right. The strands of silver silently met the infinite pieces of black, the two sides vying for supremacy high above the plane of the battlefield. Deusolbert could see the strands which had split apart all turn towards the silver slivers emerging from Eldrie's weapon. Almost as if a secret force was bringing the two together, like the forces of light were having their final battle against the ultimate forces of darkness.

However, in the next moment, the dazzling light which had appeared in the night was instantly swallowed by the bottomless darkness which was the gigantic worm-like structure. But as soon as the last dredges of light were swallowed up by that beast, the glistening darkness also vanished without a trace. No longer could Deusolbert see any evidence of the thing which had incited so much terror within himself just moments ago, nor could he spot Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, only a lone dragon frantically searching for its master. It seemed as if the two had swallowed each other, reducing themselves into nothingness.

The flashing lights had served as a distraction for every single combatant on the battlefield, and for a few short seconds, all noise had ceased. Blades no longer clattering against each other, the sounds of men, women, and monster alike silencing in the presence of such a terrifyingly radiant beauty. But as soon as it all disappeared and faded into the night, the battle resumed as abruptly as it had paused. As Deusolbert looked to the skies, he could see no trace of the brave Integrity Knight who had thrust himself right at the deathworm. With no choice but to assume the worst, he could only silently mourn the loss of one of the Human Empire's own Integrity Knights. He was truly unsure of whether any other knight had been able to see what fate befell Eldrie. In truth, none of them would ever be able to know what horrors Eldrie had saved them from. Deusolbert could do nothing but silently pray for Eldrie's soul to be well received in the afterlife, as he lay waiting for his family to join him.

If they had lost one of the Integrity Knights, then that meant each of the remaining ones would have to take on even more responsibility. They had lost one of the commanders of the main section of the army, and so someone else would have to take over for his role. But that was a discussion and contemplation for later. For now, the priority was to escape the current predicament, and be able to regroup somewhere else to stand against Dark Territory's forces once again. Likely, this would occur at the walls of Centoria, as no other location would be suitable for a smaller army to even have a chance of holding off a larger one. In a sense, the great capital city of the Human Empire would be its final stand, only if there were still people to stand against the enemy when that time came.

And without Deusolbert knowing how much time had passed, he finally heard the words that he had long awaited.

"Pull back! Retreat! Pass the message along!"

Though it made no sense for the soldier carrying this message, the Integrity Knight knew that this had indicated that Bercouli's unit had created a reasonably large gap, and was now in the process of pushing outwards to re-establish positioning, thus destroying the encirclement. As he turned his head to look at the situation on the west end, what he noticed was a large patch of empty darkness exactly where the gap had begun its life. The absence of light was equivalent to a lack of soldiers, meaning that Bercouli and his unit had done what was almost impossible – forcing open the circle from within. The Integrity Knights' daring plan had come to fruition, and Deusolbert was certain that such an opportunity would never come again.

"We retreat! Pass the message along!"

Deusolbert joined in with the others who were shouting the same command, as he began to backpedal with the rest of the soldiers around him. The enemies in front of him were confused, but like mindless creatures, decided to follow them anyways. As long the current status quo was maintained, where the Dark Territory could not pierce through the lines, then the previously encircled Human Army would finally once again be a line, unhindered by enemies behind.

Another immeasurable amount of time had passed again. Deusolbert was sure that they had nearly reached where the west side of the camp was originally, simply based on the number of torn-up tent foundations he had stepped past. Not only that, but he was no longer able to catch sight of any fighting behind him. Evidently, the circle had nearly become a line, and they would soon be free. Deusolbert had no idea how this had happened; all he knew was that by the countless efforts of Bercouli, Fanatio, Alice, Eldrie, and all the other Integrity Knights, combined with every single soldier who had bravely volunteered to serve in the Human Army, whether they had perished or still lived to swing their sword – they had managed to do the impossible. And this was an opportunity that could not be wasted.

Out of the corner of his eye, Deusolbert spotted faintly spotted something rising into the sky, barely reflecting off the torches around him. Seeing the slight purple sheen enter his eyes, he knew that the penultimate part of the plan was about to happen. Fanatio, up on her dragon, would do a final check, ensuring that the line had indeed been re-established out of the encirclement, before signalling for a full retreat. Unlike how they were currently backtracking slowly, while still facing the enemy head on. No, instead, they were to turn their backs on their enemy, running away at full speed and scattering into the night. Using the advantage in knowing the terrain better than their invaders, the hope was that the Dark Territory would have more trouble traversing the somewhat mountainous Eastabarieth Empire, while the soldiers of the Human Army chose the quickest routes. This would allow humanity to then eventually regroup at the city of Centoria, which was to be their final bastion.

As expected, the bright beam of light fired from Fanatio's sword straight up into the sky. It did not matter where you stood along that line of soldiers, both friend and foe alike would have clearly seen this short display. And with that signal, the three most important things happened. First, all the soldiers in the Human Army, as ordered by their superiors, turned their backs on their enemy, and began to run as quickly as possible towards the west. Second, the Integrity Knights all immediately jumped to the forefront of battle, unleashing whatever skills they had. Whether it was awakening their weapons, or simply slashing without abandon, the knights did whatever they could to concentrate the enemy's concentration onto themselves. And thirdly, the dragons of the Integrity Knights, who had been standing by hovering in the sky to deter the Dark Knights from launching their own attack, swooped down to wreak havoc on whatever they could find, like their respective masters.

To be exact, however, a few of the knights had already summoned their dragons to come down for that very reason a while ago. Deusolbert was able to catch sight of Scheta's dragon, coming down from the skies to launch its attack. But still, whether the Dark Knights still feared the rest of the rider-less dragons, or if they were ordered to stand firm, they did not join into the attack. However, when all the rest of the dragons began to dive-bomb down onto the ground, Deusolbert could see the knights from the side of darkness finally taking action. And because of the Dark Territory's greatest asset, the ones who were not limited to the ground, Deusolbert was aware that the dragons could not continue sweeping the ground for much longer, as they would need to contend with their enemy's aerial forces.

But without the support of their dragons, the knights could no longer hold back the masses of soldiers the Dark Territory had. It was simply impossible for less than twenty knights to hold off an army, a well-trained one, of tens of thousands. Slowly, the gap between the two armies shrank, until barely a sliver of space separated them. Deusolbert could see the reason why: the human soldiers feared, constantly turning their heads backwards not knowing when their enemies would catch up to them, and this action caused a bit of slowdown every single time. On top of that, the humans were simply more worn out, having fewer people to fight their battles, while the Dark Territory, on average, was still fresher. At the very least, the ones who had expended the least energy could now use up what they had saved to give chase.

 _We can't outrun them. We can't scatter. We never considered how we were going to get away from them after breaking out. Even now, I cannot think of a solution. If this remains, then we are sure to be annihilated before the sun ever rises again._

Thoughts like these crept up in Deusolbert's mind, who knew there was nothing else that could be done. He was sure that the other knights, though they may have resigned themselves to fighting on until their last breaths, had similar thoughts, as they were only human, and were not gods themselves. Without the power of the gods, their current predicament would be their last worry.

Until suddenly, light began to filter into the sky. Not a piercing light, but instead a most radiant, soft, and subtle light. Almost like particles of white slowly floating down from high in the sky, drifting down just like snowflakes. And within that cloud of light, floated a single silhouette, small but boasting immeasurable power. One person. A woman. Her long skirt was stitched together from countless fine fabrics that hung loose and flapped like wings. Her long hair, training in the night breeze, was a shining chestnut brown. No one else on the battlefield was able to make out the specific details of this woman as she was still high up in the sky, but Deusolbert, with his eagle-like eyes, could see in detail. What he saw of this woman perfectly matched the description which he had engraved into his heart long ago. When he first "awoke" as an Integrity Knight, though he now knew that this was a fake event created by Administrator, he had learned of the beginnings of the world, and the beings which had created it. The Goddess of Light, Solus. The Goddess of the Earth, Terraria. The God of Darkness, Vector. The Goddess of the Moon, Lunaria. And, the Goddess of Creation, Stacia.

Never once did Deusolbert imagine that in his life in this world, that he would be able to see the one of the creators of this world before his very eyes. Stunned, humbled, moved to tears – at this moment, all those words could aptly describe his state. All around him, however, stood people whose eyesight could not accurately make out the figure in the sky – all they knew was that something otherworldly was happening right now. The figure of the Goddess Stacia reached out her right hand, and five slender fingers lightly swiped sideways.

A tremendous, overwhelming, rich harmony shook the entire world, making a sound unlike anything Deusolbert had ever experienced in his lifetime. A curtain of light, richly coloured in every imaginable shade, shot from the figure's fingers before raining down upon the heads of the Dark Territory's forces. Immediately afterwards, rumbling ensued, coupled with infinite screams and shouts of surprise. As Deusolbert lowered his eyes back to the earth, he found that an enormous wall of marble, reaching into the recesses of the sky, stood not more than five mel in front of him. Looking to his left and right, that wall stretched out further than his eyes could make out; not only was it unbounded by height, it also reached from infinite left to infinite right. Deusolbert was unsure whether those screams came from the Dark Territory or the Human Empire, but regardless, he was unable to see most of their enemies anymore, except the ones who had been trapped on the human's side of the wall.

The power of the gods. Deusolbert had heard of this from the Highest Minister herself, who claimed that the only ones with more authority in this world than herself were the gods who created the world. According to her, they could do anything at the flick of their fingers; truly omnipotent beings. He had now witnessed true, overwhelming power. Capability exceeding what anyone born of this world could achieve. Transcendent, impossible, boundless. These were the only words which could describe what he had just witnessed. Creation, with the swipe of a goddess's hands.

And as this goddess, clad in robes of shining white, slowly descended towards the ground, the soldiers around Deusolbert were finally able to catch a glimpse of who their saviour was.

"Is that… the Goddess, Stacia?"

"A goddess… the Goddess of Creation, Stacia?!"

"No way, Lady Stacia herself has come to rescue us herself!"

"We've just been saved… by the creator of this world?"

Confused voices rang out, though all recognizing who had come down to their rescue. However, none of them were able to discern why this goddess of theirs had come to their rescue, though the incomparable gratefulness could not completely leave their voices. A clamor of voices as everyone's stunned faces turned towards the sky, staring wide-eyed at the woman slowly floating down. Finally, these shouts of confusion stopped, as the soldiers did nothing but have their faces turned directly upwards, their mouths agape at the beautiful goddess who had come to rescue them from their greatest predicament.

"No way… Asuna?"

In the silence that followed, only one person dared to break the peace with their voice speaking a name Deusolbert had never heard before. This person had called the Goddess Stacia by another name, without any honorifics attached to her great name. Turning his head to face the heretic who would dare utter such a curse against the creator of their world, he was able to see a black-haired youth who carried a pitch-black sword in his right, and a short knife in his left. The mysterious Kirito, who the Axiom Church had labelled as a spy for the Dark Territory, who, along with the help of his partner Eugeo, had managed to defeat Deusolbert himself, and also Administrator herself.

Knowing the conviction behind this boy, he was suddenly convinced that the intention behind his uttering of that name was not to curse or undermine, but it seemed that there was some other reasoning behind this name he had called her. Perhaps, Kirito, the cryptic swordsman, had come down from the heavens as well.

* * *

 **A/N**

First off, it seems that I somehow messed up the title of the last chapter and never changed it until recently. Originally, these two chapters were supposed to be one, but as I was writing the last one, I suddenly realized how long it had gotten and chose a better time to end it. Also, I would have done a lot of perspective shifting within the chapter, which isn't ideal. So instead I separated the two to take two different viewpoints at the end of the battle.

Now comes the apologies for not posting for so long (6 weeks!). When you end up coming home late everyday after work, you kinda lose the will to do anything and only want to loaf around and relax. So that happened a lot, which delayed this chapter for a long time.

Regardless, it's the official end of this second arc to the story, if you call the things before the beginning of the war to be its first arc. And at last, Asuna has finally arrived! I've never truly understood why she created a crater in canon (destruction), when she's the goddess of _creation_ , and she also says that she doesn't wish to kill. Wouldn't a massive wall make more sense? That also messes with the Dark Knights too!

Anyways, with the 2nd half of Alicization airing this season, I'm excited to see the differences between canon and my own story. Makes for a good comparison, looking at the little details here and there that I've changed. Anyways, I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long, but work can be cruel sometimes.


	14. Chapter 13 - Exposure

_**Chapter 13 – Exposure**_

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11/13/380

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Never in my lifetime would I have ever imagined seeing my girlfriend slowly floating down from the sky. If it were any other situation, I might have even found it somewhat amusing. But at this moment, the only thing I could feel was a mixture of dread, confusion, and fear. Sure, having someone from the Real World who I knew, rather well in fact, would normally be able to put myself in a state of ease, but I couldn't help but be drawn to the memories I had from nearly two weeks ago. A clear band of light filtering down from the sky as the air turned slightly stiff… back then, I had thought that someone from Rath was coming to help us out, but nothing had ever come out of it. Now, that same feeling, that same type of lighting – it had appeared again.

Clearly this time, I was right: my observations had accurately stemmed from my expectations. Because of that unique mix of phenomena, I was undoubtedly sure that it could be nothing other than someone logging into the Underworld. Did that mean… someone had intentionally logged in, purposefully spawning in deep within the Dark Territory? Was there some supreme Real World human leader commanding these forces of darkness to knock on our front doors? These possibilities were becoming more and more like probabilities, the more that I looked up and saw the circumstantial evidence of Asuna slowly drifting towards the ground.

Regardless, I still felt like a massive load had been lifted off my shoulders. Since the day that I had spoken to Kikuoka, the day that I had reached the top of the Central Cathedral, the day that I had fought Administrator, the day that I had lost Eugeo –

Suddenly, my thoughts blanked out for a second. Thinking about the one I had lost in that fight still put such a huge strain on me, and I continued to mourn his loss whenever I was alone. Yes, I tried to move on, but regardless, his death was something that would likely haunt me for the rest of my life, even when, or rather, if I made it back to where I truly belonged. Even now, I would involuntarily freeze – my whole body fixed in place and non-functioning for just a fraction of a second. The same guilt weighed on my mind – his death was all _my_ fault. If only _I_ had been a little faster, if only _I_ had been a little stronger, this might not have happened to him. I hated _myself_ for being so inadequate, that _I_ would let the one who I considered my best friend fall to such a fate. Someone like _me_ should have never been allowed to walk out of that room alive, when the one fighting beside me no longer had his body.

The only way I rationalized that I could atone for my sins would be to revive him from his current state, his soul locked away in that beautiful blue blade. After the short meeting with the rest of the Integrity Knights, I rushed back to my tent and picked up both the blade and its scabbard – I couldn't let someone else carry him off to parts unknown. In fact, having him strapped to my back had calmed me down a significant amount. I had felt so hopeless when I saw the Dark Territory's flanking forces come down from the mountains, even showing the bleak and despondent side of myself to the other Integrity Knights, but as soon as I wrapped the strap of the sword's sheath over my shoulder, there was this inexplicable feeling of calm that washed over me. It was almost as if his hands were gripping my shoulders, providing the support that I required in the most critical of times.

At least now, the other person who had been standing by my side for the longest amount of time was next to me once again. When I had heard her name being mentioned from Kikuoka's mouth, there was the initial shock and curiosity as to why she would be at Rath's lab. Then, as I slowly descended the steps of the Central Cathedral after I had blacked out, the silence biting into my eardrums had caused the cogs in my brain to whir constantly. Eventually, it led to me realizing that the Rath lab was, for some reason, under attack by unknown assailants, and Asuna was unexpectedly also present at that lab. Now, I didn't care too much for the others at the lab; after all, I barely knew any of them. I did have to be somewhat grateful for Kikuoka for allowing me to obtain Asuna's personal information when I awoke after SAO, but that was about all he did for me. Then, he got me invested in the whole Death Gun debacle, and it wasn't something I ever wanted to be a part of again. He really only wanted to squeeze information about the death game out of me, and then use me as the interface between himself and the VRMMO world. I'm sure he cared about me, but that was probably only considering my usefulness to him.

But, Asuna was also at the lab, and if the lab was in danger, then so was she. For these past two years, I had toiled helplessly, knowing that not only was I completely unable to do anything that could help protect her, but the amount of time that I experienced had also been many magnitudes longer than what she experienced. Uncertainty fogged up my mind every single day, and though I continued to present myself as best as I could while I trained up the troops, I was only hopelessly doing all I could to push those worries to the back of my mind. But at last, she had come to me. Completely unanticipated, yes, but I would certainly welcome her with open arms. In my point of view, it had been over two years since I last saw her, though this timing did not match the truth. And I had never been happier to reunite with anyone, not even my own family, after being trapped in SAO.

As she drifted closer towards the ground, I noticed one thing – she wasn't stopping her descent. It looked as if her eyes were closed, her body was completely limp. Was she… asleep? All these other people around me, the ones from the Underworld, were calling her "Stacia". If I remembered correctly from Cardinal's teachings, Stacia was supposed to be one of the Gods of the Underworld, specifically, the Goddess of Creation. Would that mean… the massive marble wall now separating us from the Dark Territory's army was in fact created by Asuna? Maybe somehow, that act was what had rendered her unconscious. Whatever the cause may be, she was presently comatose, and I would need to catch her before she hurtled to the ground without anything, or anyone, to protect her.

Adjusting my position to get directly under her, I didn't bother giving my own safety a second thought. I had no idea how I was supposed to catch a person who was falling through the sky at near terminal velocity without either of us dying. But out of instinct, I felt this rush of protectiveness, forcing my legs to move into action before I could even consider the possibility of safety. Bracing myself for the incoming impact, I kept my eyes strained onto her form, taking care to ensure that her vitals would be protected. I kept all my concentration, waiting for her to finally drop down, until I finally realized – she was falling much slower than I had initially thought.

Floating was a more appropriate word to describe it; somehow there were speckles of light surrounding her as if gently supporting her weight, not allowing her to accelerate from the grips of gravity. Fortunately for the both of us, we would not have to worry about our prospects of survival. After what seemed like an eternity, Asuna's body finally settled into my arms. Her beautiful hair, her perfect skin, her shapely face; everything from her head to her toes – it had been so long since I had last seen them all. Hugging her tightly, I buried my face in the crease of her neck and slowly inhaled her scent, then let that breath slowly seep out between my teeth. My only wish was that she could have been awake for this moment, so she could embrace me in the same way.

It must have looked so strange to everyone else around me, seeing their Goddess of Creation being embraced in this manner by someone quite unknown to them. I half expected someone to come up from behind me and forcibly separate us, but surprisingly that never happened. I did catch a glimpse of the faces of those all around me, looking shocked, concerned, and slightly irritated. Even Deusolbert, who was standing rather close by, had a look of utter confusion, his eyes asking me questions I was not yet ready to answer.

Now that Asuna had come, I could no longer hide the truth from the rest of the people who lived here. At the very least, the other Integrity Knights, as well as the higher up commanders of the Human Army, would come to learn of the truth because of her presence. I could only hope that they could all take the truth as well as Bercouli and Alice did when I had told them about the origins of their world, all those days ago. I didn't want to think about the heavy logistics of all that right now; we all had more pressing matters to deal with.

I, for one, was still worried about Asuna. Not the Asuna here, but Yuuki Asuna in the flesh, in the Real World. The one whose body could be damaged forever, the one where her real heart and soul lay. Rath was being attacked. All I confirmed from her presence in the Underworld was that she was alive at the current moment. It told me absolutely nothing about whether her life was in immediate danger or not. And the Fluctlight Acceleration was truly either the best blessing or the worst curse. Because time passed by so quickly in the STL relative to the Real World, anything that happened within the next minute over there could translate into hours, days, or even weeks, all depending on how fast we were being accelerated. I could spend innumerous amounts of time here worrying for her safety, when in reality, the clock would have barely moved its minute hand. At the same time, a rapid acceleration rate could potentially allow Asuna to return to the Real World before anything damaging could affect her real body.

Why was she even here in the first place? If Rath had given Asuna access to one of their many STL's, allowing her to log in, then there had to be a reason behind their actions. They must need someone who knows the truth to be on this side of the simulation, because they needed to manipulate something very specific. For example, if they were looking to start a revolution, to change the lives of those in this world, to kidnap someone –

 _You take Alice and head for the World's End Altar!_

Kikuoka's desperate plea that day made its way back into my brain. That's right, they wanted Alice for some reason. And because they had lost contact with me, the person they had entrusted to bring her there, they had sent someone else to help me with that, and to check up on me. Two heads were better than one, and maybe that's the approach that Rath was taking. Why they wanted Alice so badly, I had not even the slightest idea. I wouldn't even consider what Kikuoka was saying if he hadn't sounded so desperate. I had listened to that man speak for so long, and I was very well aware of his hidden intentions behind everything he ever wanted me to do. But this time… I could tell that he wanted nothing but to ensure that he could secure Alice, protecting her from whatever was trying to steal her away.

Still, I did not want to give Alice away to Kikuoka. Though she might have been a fabricated AI, to me – she was nothing less than a real human being who deserved every chance to make decisions for herself without someone else dictating what she should do. If Asuna knew the details behind why Alice was so important to Kikuoka, then maybe I would consider listening to him. But if his intentions were to simply _use_ her, then there was absolutely _no_ chance that I would let him do as he liked. But my potential battle against Kikuoka and whatever plans his scheming mind may have would come later; right now, our enemies were still not more than a few tens of metres in front of us, despite having been separated by that wall.

Slowly, I peeled my eyes away from her unconscious form, raising my head to gaze at the wall which had saved us all from certain death. If I had seen this structure in my world, I would have likely spent hours simply gazing and admiring the incredible workmanship of it all. Even here, in the Underworld, the grandeur of the wall was truly magnificent. Somehow, this infinitely tall wall looked absolutely realistic. The power known as the Sacred Arts was truly so convenient, allowing anything and everything to be done.

Finally, my eyes returned to the ground, where a crowd of curious onlookers were beginning to gather around myself and Asuna.

"Isn't that the Goddess Stacia? What gives you the right to hold her?"

"Yeah! She's a perfect goddess, the creator of our realm. How can any of us be worthy of even touching her! Only the highest of Integrity Knights could have that privilege!"

"Lady Stacia is a goddess! She doesn't need your help! Release her!"

A clamor of angry voices rose up in the crowd around me, calling for my separation with Asuna. But how could I do that? After being apart for so long, there was no way I would let her out of my sight again. I knew that none of these people really had any ill intent; they were only ignorant of the truth. So I did my best not to let my anger rise against them, as it would do me no good either. But if any of them raised their swords against me, I felt that I would not even hesitate a single moment to unsheathe my own.

A cold set of footsteps crunched through the night sky, separating the congregation swiftly and with authority. Clad fully in red armour, and standing at around two metres tall, he carried a blood red bow slung across his shoulders, as well as holding a simple iron sword which no longer was able to reflect the rays of the sun. Deusolbert Synthesis Seven made his way closer to me, before his towering figure forced me to strain my neck just to get a good look at his face. Surprisingly, I didn't feel any need to defend myself against this Integrity Knight in this situation; there was no bloodlust in his expression. Though curious, it looked like he would be fine with letting this matter go for the moment, before pursuing it at another time.

"Kirito, are you acquainted with Her Lady Stacia, the Goddess of Creation?"

I highly doubted that he didn't hear me calling out Asuna's name, considering that he was right next to me when I finally realized who it was falling out of the sky. I spoke her name loud enough that it would be obvious to anyone who was paying attention. But still, he did not use her name when he addressed her, rather choosing to use her assumed alias, Stacia. Based on the expression he had, he obviously didn't want to make this a bigger deal than necessary, so I silently thanked him for that. I was glad that I had managed to gain the trust of this knight, and I reminded myself that I was in his debt and would have to repay him one day in the future.

"I am."

I swallowed audibly, forcing down the anxiety that threatened to spill out. Still unsure of how the others would react to this, even if Deusolbert were to trust me, I prepared myself for the worst, unable to let my own guard down. After what seemed like an eternity, Deusolbert nodded and responded.

"Then you must protect her. Let us all move. Her Lady Stacia has gifted us with an opportunity to escape, so we shall not waste it."

Quickly realizing the situation they were in right after hearing Deusolbert's comments, everyone who had originally gathered around me now dispersed, slowly spreading the knight's order through word of mouth. It took a while before everyone was moving again, as we all slowly began to move to the west. Centoria was our destination, but at this point, I didn't even have a clue as to where the city really was. The mountains covering the Eastabarieth Empire were high enough to barely kiss the clouds, blocking the view of what was beyond their snow-capped peaks. Besides, it was nighttime currently so a clear view of the skyline wouldn't be much of a help.

Along the way, I managed to find an abandoned wagon. The driver had disappeared off to parts unknown, leaving the confused and frightened horses out in the open in the midnight darkness. Seizing the opportunity to lighten the load off my shoulders, I carefully laid Asuna out in the back, resting her head so that it would be nicely secured instead of flopping around as the carriage travelled across the bumpy mountain passes. As I was climbing into the driver's seat, it was then that I realized I had absolutely no idea how to even handle horses.

I scratched the base of my neck in a bit of self-pity, now finally realizing that my ingenious plan to offload the still sleeping Asuna wasn't as smart as I made it out to be. I couldn't let some random soldier drive who they thought was their Goddess of Creation, so I would have to let this idea slip. Returning to the back of the wagon, I pushed aside the curtain, and was about to step inside when I felt a hand on my shoulder. In slight annoyance, I turned to face whoever had placed their hand on me, then quickly noticed I was looking not at a face, but rather a deep red chest plate.

"I am capable of driving a carriage. Let me be the driver. You can have a seat next to me."

Sighing as my debts to Deusolbert slowly piled up, I nodded and gave him a quick smirk.

"Thanks, I'll take you up on that offer."

Gracefully, this two-metre tall giant of a man lightly hopped up, snatching the reins from the seat in one fluid motion. Despite the heavy armour that he wore, the way he could just spring up like he felt no additional weight blew my mind. These Integrity Knights were really freaks of nature, performing one incredible feat after another like it was nothing, like their bodies were built for it. Obviously, the Underworld was all based on numbers, so even an extremely thin person could hold immense strength. This was the rule of the virtual world. But seeing this was so… real. It wasn't like the over-the-top fantasy of SAO, where a skinny avatar like me could somehow block the attacks of a forty-metre tall giant. Here, everything had that grain of realism, so it seemed more like those freakish athletes you would see in those top-level sporting competitions.

It was so much more comfortable being able to ride while sitting down instead of trekking along these mountain roads, and I felt pretty bad for those who still needed to walk, but thankfully none of them dissented about who was sitting. Because of all the other crates of supplies in the cart, it couldn't actually fit anyone else comfortably other than Asuna who was lying down, or else Deusolbert would have probably invited some of the more wounded soldiers to get on board. Instead, he and I sat in the front, in silence except for the shuffling of feet, the creaking of wooden wheels, and the occasional neighing of horses.

I didn't imagine we would be marching for the entire night, since all of us had already been fighting like madmen for the entire day. No one would be able to have enough energy to make it through to the next day in that case. But at the same time, we probably needed to get at least a bit further away from the border before anyone would be able to rest peacefully. Though saying that, I was sure that a whole bunch of these guys would just collapse as soon as the order to make camp came.

Right now, I was with Deusolbert's group. Honestly, I had no idea where my own unit was, because all the support units had gotten completely mixed up to fill in whatever gaps were present when we got all circled in. I had lost track of them, they had lost track of me; I didn't even know if they were alive. I could only hope that they had all survived out there, but I would likely only find out when we all reconvened at Centoria. Everyone's units had split up and were taking different routes through the mountains, so that there would be less of a line-up to get through. Also, splitting us all up meant we couldn't all be wiped out at the same time; at least, that was the goal.

Another hour passed before finally, Deusolbert pulled on the reins of the horses to stop the wagon, and subsequently called for camp to be set up. And as I expected, a large number of the soldiers flopped to the ground, their wills clearly past the limits of their bodies. Those who still could move, including myself, began helping pitch tents and helping move those who were nearly unconscious inside them. Fortunately, the wagon that we had run into on our way, the same one that was now carrying Asuna, had a couple of tents inside. Even though we wouldn't be able to shield everyone from the wind and cold, those who were wounded could at least be protected from the elements. I soon noticed that it was only Deusolbert and myself who were unloading the crates from the cart; the rest of the soldiers all waited until boxes were placed on the ground before tentatively stepping forward and grabbing one and then quickly heading off. They were likely all too scared to get near their goddess, for fear of incurring her wrath, but that worked out fine for me. At the very least, she would be left alone to recover without anyone barging in on her privacy.

When the tents were finally set up, I could see exhausted men and women struggle to clamber under the limited shelter, while others wordlessly found an empty spot, quietly crumpling to the ground to get their much-deserved rest. After a short while, all the torches had been extinguished when either they had been dropped to the ground or blown out. The only light remaining was the one in the stand next to the driver's seat in the wagon. In the now empty backseat of the cart, I sat silently while watching Asuna, who was still deep in slumber.

I grabbed a hold of her hand, entwining her fingers with mine. As I did that, I felt this mysterious pang of shame in my consciousness. It was a feeling that I had not felt for over two years. Even though I had done nothing worthy of feeling guilty, just the thought of having been away from Asuna for such a long time gnawed at my heart. I had begun my journey through the Underworld with a crushing need to get back to the Real World, but as I travelled nearer to my destination, I began to get caught up in the matters of this virtual world. After living here and experiencing life for over two years, I wouldn't even hesitate to say that I could count this place as my home. Even after hearing that Asuna was at Rath, and knowing that she was in danger, I still couldn't pull myself away from here and rush to the World's End Altar to escape. Leaving behind the people who were living here to suffer for all their eternity was something I absolutely could not do. But to save the people here, I had neglected my friends on the outside.

As I reminisced about my time with Asuna, both in SAO and in the Real World, I heard a slight rustling from the cloth which served as the back door of the wagon. A man with dark red hair poked his head in, looking into the interior where I was sitting. Normally, I would have instantly been on guard, especially with an unconscious person next to me, but I was frankly too tired to have that much of a response. Besides, as soon as I saw that colour of hair, I knew that there would be no reason to fret. Deusolbert stood there, with somewhat of an expectant look on his face. I guess he didn't want to intrude on me without my approval…? Regardless, I waved him in and he sat down on the free bench next to me.

Another few moments of stifling silence followed. It was truly as if after the clamor and chaos that the battle brought, my entire world was bathed in large swaths of silence as the night wore on. Fate balancing itself, perhaps, but it still made me so uncomfortable to sit in this constant silence. As I turned to face towards Deusolbert, forcibly prying my eyes away from Asuna, I noticed that his eyes had been trained on her as well. But seeing that my gaze had fallen onto him, he immediately shifted his sightline towards me.

"Is that Lady Stacia, our Goddess of Creation?"

He wasn't even going to give me any time to consider how to approach this whole situation, immediately throwing that dreaded question straight at me. Truth be told, I didn't actually know how to answer. Was she Stacia? Was she not? For all I know, Asuna could have logged on into the Underworld with the Stacia account, which Rath had surely prepared for legitimacy's sake. Maybe one of them had even logged in when this place had begun its life, masquerading as one of the Gods of Creation. I guess technically, they weren't really lying because they _were_ the ones who created this world. The only part which could be considered a lie was the part about them being gods.

I decided to give the most roundabout answer that I could to Deusolbert, in the hopes that it would satisfy his curiosity.

"She is, and she isn't."

Even I didn't like my own cryptic response, and I was sure that Deusolbert would have a big problem with what I just said. The day would eventually come when I would have to explain the origins of this world to everyone, or maybe have that done through the mouths of Bercouli and Alice, the only two who presently knew of the real truth. The other knights… well, it may be somewhat easier to explain the facts to them, as they at least knew of Administrator's deception. But the ordinary people, who even now, were not aware that their Pontifex was dead, would take more than a few speeches to convince.

"I'll tell you everything when we get back to Centoria. Hell, I'll tell all of you Integrity Knights. I swear that you'll get out every ounce of information that I know. I just don't want to explain myself over and over again."

Deusolbert narrowed his eyes and furrowed his eyebrows at my response. Maybe I had come off a bit harshly, but what I said was true. If I had to go around explaining every detail to every single person repeatedly, I wasn't sure how long I would last before going insane. Maybe I would even blur the lines between what was reality and what was fantasy. It would be best for me to tell everyone at once what the truth was, and then let them all take it as they did. If everyone was back together, then I would also have Bercouli and Alice to help explain everything, so I wouldn't have to do it all myself.

Deusolbert let out a long sigh before finally responding.

"Alright, I will be taking your word for it. I hope that you will be able to keep that promise."

It seemed like he did have a little confidence in me if he was willing to wait until we returned to Centoria to hear a response. I just hoped that this wouldn't distract him too much from the current mission, but the best situation would be having no encounters with the Dark Territory as we travelled westward. So hopefully, this "best-case scenario" would end up coming true. Though with my kind of luck, I was already dreading the worst.

In the meantime, Deusolbert got up and exited the wagon, leaving me and Asuna alone once again to the silence of the night. With nothing left to do, and a body that was rapidly shutting down, I decided that it was probably time for me to go to sleep as well.

* * *

11/14/380

* * *

For the first time in what felt like forever, I didn't wake up in a nice, comfortable bed. The sounds were still the same – the peaceful noises of nature's beings calling to begin the morning. Even though I had been completely drained from all the fighting, I found it very difficult to relax my body enough that I could get a good night's rest. Countless times I drifted in and out of my slumber, and the hard wooden seat of the wagon and my upright position certainly weren't the most conducive factors to a better night's sleep.

It took much longer than it normally did for everyone to get prepared. Most of us were forced to go hungry, the few portions of food which had been on the wagon quickly devoured and reduced to nothing. The people had insisted that Deusolbert, myself, and "Stacia" get larger portions of food, but both the knight and I refused to take it. The reason could be boiled down to a matter of numbers: because we were stronger and at a higher level than the others, the value for our Life was higher than anyone else's. Even if we were to begin losing Life due to our hunger, it would take longer before we would die, so it made sense for those who needed it the most to have it.

Finally, we took down all the tents, packing the materials up and loading them in the back of the wagon – and once again, no one dared to approach too closely. It was rather amusing, seeing all these people's fear of the unknown. If the times weren't so rough, it would be interesting just living a normal life among these people here. It would be like the birth of a whole new civilization, complete with magic. Being able to see where humanity could have gone differently, it would essentially be the ultimate isekai. I felt that it was such a shame that I had to experience life here in the midst of this grand war. I could really see myself living in this world, together with Asuna, spending the rest of our days enjoying life here.

Because of the mountains, we couldn't directly see the sun's rays as we were setting off, but the skies were bright enough that it would not be a difficult journey, unlike last night. Everyone had at least recovered some of their strength as well, so the marching pace was faster than the sluggish stumbling that yesterday was.

The moment the sun finally peeked through the peaks of the mountains was a sight to see. It was like a veil had been lifted off every single person – suddenly, their spirits had shot up many times over, and everyone immediately regained their lost enthusiasm. Though many were missing friends and didn't know if those people were still alive, it didn't stop them from keeping their positive attitude. Maybe it was the fact that they were with an Integrity Knight, so their spirits were lifted, and confidence boosted. It was quite a pretty sight, if you asked me. I only hoped that nothing would happen which would destroy their smiles.

The Eastabarieth Empire had a few mountainous regions. It was here that the End Mountains had a bulge reaching inwards, away from the ring which served as the border of the Human Empire. Moving further towards Centoria, these mountains eventually gave way to a lush wetland-like area. Further to the west, another mountain range rose into the sky, surrounding the wetland valley and giving it the appearance of a nature reserve, where instead of walls and fences, there were snow-capped peaks.

A few towns were scattered around the rocky plateaus along some of the mountain routes, including the town which we had built our camp near. These were few and far in between, with not much other than miners and their families. Nothing could grow in these harsh conditions, but the rocky slopes were perfect for bountiful ore deposits. Another reason why the army had split off into so many different routes was to alert any villages we passed by to evacuate and head towards Centoria. The town nearest to the Great Eastern Gate, Naphtala, was supposed to be evacuated by those who drove the carriages out with all our supplies. It would have made sense for them to have fled as soon as the battle began, but most of these Underworldians had absolute faith in their Integrity Knights and the Axiom Church that they protected.

Unlike the other three empires of the Human Empire, the Eastabarieth Empire did not have a centralized city which was magnitudes larger than the rest, unlike Zakkaria of the Norlangarth Empire. The marshy land restricted the growth of the cities, slowing it down since so much effort had to be put in to ensure that everything had a proper foundation. There would never be such a large section of land solid enough to build all the infrastructure necessary to support a large city. As a result, there ended up being many smaller towns scattered all throughout these marshy lands. Every place where the land was less of a soggy mess, a town would spring up, complete with all its basic necessities.

As I travelled from Centoria out to the eastern edges before the beginning of the war, I got to experience just how similar this land was to traditional farming villages in my own world. With agriculture as the base of their lives, these small towns were nothing more than hubs where trade of crops could be conducted. Large, expansive fields stretched out from the town centers, and the few villagers would toil in their lands, planting and sowing all through the year. Honestly, trade between the small towns was quite challenging because of the wet soil. Even though roads in the Underworld were unpaved, having such muggy soil hindered any type of long-range transportation. Wagons were almost completely unheard of in this area since all the wheels would get stuck in the mud, and when supplies were being transported from Centoria out to the east in preparation for the war, they always travelled around the edges of this marshy region so that they could still make use of wagons.

But here I was, sitting in a wagon as I could see the land beneath my feet begin to turn from the hard rock of the mountains to the soft earth typical of the wetlands. We would probably have to end up abandoning the wagon carrying all these supplies, and hitch whatever we could on our backs. For me, the only thing I would be carrying on my own back would be Asuna, so I would probably leave all the other heavy lifting to Deusolbert and the rest of the soldiers.

After the fifth time that Deusolbert and I had to disembark and free the wheels of the wagon, lifting it up from the dirt, we both wordlessly decided it was time to leave the thing behind. With the rest of the soldiers lining up to take up what they could, once again, being _very_ careful to keep a wide berth, we left the carriage to slowly sink into the mud while we heavily trudged through it ourselves. At the very least, I could faintly see the outlines of a couple of buildings in the distance, so it wouldn't be too long until all of us could get a rest.

But anticipation can be an incredibly dangerous thing. Even though I thought we were close, it still took us another few hours of walking before we finally made it over to the town. It was almost as if the town was moving in the same direction as we were, with the distance between us and it remaining constant. We had finally abandoned the wagon as the sun was setting, and we finally arrived in the town sometime past midnight. By the time we had fully settled ourselves in after gathering all the supplies we needed, the sky was beginning to brighten up again as the sun once again welcomed us with its rays. This time, we could see the sunrise without any rocky slopes blocking our view, but truth be told, I didn't find it a welcome sight, because it only served as a reminder of how much time we had spent travelling just to reach this first town. Who knows how many more towns we would have to pass through before we finally arrived at Centoria.

* * *

11/15/380

* * *

The strange timing of our arrival meant that we would be marching through the night once again. At least this time, I had managed to find a sled-like object that I could put Asuna on, so that I wouldn't need to carry her on my back constantly. As with the soldiers who were travelling with us, all the villagers tended to stay far away from Asuna, preferring to distance themselves from the goddess who they worshipped. Soon after we arrived, Deusolbert called for everyone in the village to gather in the town square, ordering them to evacuate. As one would expect, their responses were full of panic and fear, but no one refused to follow his orders. Even though it was the middle of the night, they all swiftly packed up their most valuable belongings, before heading off. Not even the nobles in the city dared to defy Deusolbert, though it was clear they felt troubled leaving their houses behind. And so, they all went on their own ways, while the rest of our troops stayed behind until the sun came down for some extra rest.

By now, the lights of the town were almost out of sight and we were left alone in the darkness with only our own torches to guide us. The stars could only do so much, and it was relatively cloudy, so not much of their light could penetrate and light up the ground. Even the moonlight that managed to filter down to the ground wasn't enough for us to see our feet clearly. And so, silently, we continued, with the vague directions given to us by the residents of that village before they fled to the west.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see another cluster of lights, which seemed to be slowly getting brighter and brighter. At first, not even Deusolbert noticed, as he was facing forward to determine the best paths so no one would sink into the mud. But before I could even raise the issue up with him, the others in our group caught sight of the light, breaking the monotonous silence once again.

"Lights! Are those our allies? Maybe we should let them know that we are over here."

"Are you kidding me? What if it's the Dark Territory? Then we'd be completely screwed! We should hide all our lights immediately."

Countless shouts built up the cacophony, finally causing Deusolbert to turn his eyes towards the sight in the east. I watched as he narrowed his eyes, squinting to make out who the light belonged to. It was obvious that it wasn't another town that we were near, because the lights were bouncing up and down. After a bit of concentrated effort, Deusolbert finally sighed, before turning to the rest of the soldiers in his unit.

"It is Integrity Knight Fanatio Synthesis Two. There is no cause for concern."

Instantly, I could feel the tension which had built up moments before dispersing immediately into nothingness. Hearing that they were about to meet up with another Integrity Knight and her unit was certainly reassuring, and it was something that even made myself feel relieved. I knew full well that Fanatio's skill as a knight was second only to Bercouli. The way she linked her attacks, along with the power and flexibility it brought, had given me a run for my money the day that I had finally decided to stand against the Axiom Church. I think the two of us had some sort of a connection, since our sword techniques were so different than what all the other Integrity Knights had trained themselves in. Just as I mainly used multi-hit Sword Skills, Fanatio's style was not to overpower through one absolute strike, but to overwhelm her opponent with the rapid movements of her blade.

To make sure that the other side didn't see him as an enemy, Deusolbert quickly took an arrow from his now replenished quiver, before enhancing his bow's abilities and lighting the arrow on fire. Aiming it at about a forty-five-degree angle, he shot it off into the sky in the general direction of Fanatio's group. It must have been a sort of Integrity Knight long-range communication, using their signature skills to make sure that the other side could be sure of their identities.

After a while, our two groups were able to converge. Unsurprisingly, there were more than a couple of reunions between friends who had been assigned to different units, and I was even able to catch sight of a few members of my old unit. I was so glad to see other people who had fought alongside me turn up in the realm of the living, and I hoped that the trend would continue when we all finally reassembled at Centoria. But, for the umpteenth time, as soon as they saw Asuna's face, they were afraid to approach me or give me any regards. I guess I would really have to clear this up quickly or else I would be ostracized by everyone except the Integrity Knights…

Instead, I joined the Integrity Knight reunion. I mean, I was more like one of the commanders than the average soldier anyway, so it would probably make more sense for me to be with them. Heading over, I fully expected Fanatio to have a similar reaction to seeing Asuna as Deusolbert did – a bit of apprehension, but willing to trust me and put the issue behind for now and address it later. But to my surprise, after greeting me, she glanced behind me to see Asuna, then looked back at me, and then nodded her head very slowly.

"Aren't you going to ask what's going on?"

Curious at her reaction, I prodded her with this, hoping to understand why she could brush the appearance of a goddess off so easily.

"Well, he told me that something like this could happen."

Who told her? Who would have the wherewithal to know about thi –

Oh, Bercouli. Of course. I'd seen that the two of them were getting rather close with each other the past few months, so he probably told her about it in secret. Honestly, I didn't see anything wrong what he did if the other party was able to accept it well, which it seems like Fanatio did. I chuckled at my naivety, thinking that this would never get shared until I wanted it to happen.

"Alright, at least that's one less person to explain all this to. Deusolbert, I suppose that Fanatio can explain the details to you later? We should probably figure out what we plan to do right now instead."

* * *

11/16/380

* * *

That night, we decided to camp out instead of travelling to the nearest town. We found a decently sized pad of dry-ish land where we were all able to sleep rather comfortably. Fanatio's group had come across a couple more abandoned wagons and they were able to pawn off enough resources which would probably be able to last us until we reached the next bit of civilization. As I woke up, I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes before standing up from the tree which I had been leaning on throughout the night. A blanket fell off my shoulders; one that I didn't remember putting on myself. Someone must have put that over me during the night when I was asleep.

I turned to take a look at how Asuna was doing. But I couldn't spot anyone lying down on the sled. There was only someone, dressed in pure white, sitting upright on it. They were smiling at me with a face so radiant it could melt the snow at the tips of the End Mountains. As much as I expected that she would eventually wake up, it still didn't change the fact that I had been away from her for a long time.

"Asuna…"

I barely managed to croak out her name, my emotions getting the better of me, making me choke up. Two and a half years since I last spoke to her, she and I were finally reunited. This moment nearly made up for every ordeal I had experienced here in the Underworld. She widened her smile at me, and her beauty even caused me to blush a little. I felt like a little boy with a crush on a girl, that feeling which I never experienced because I was too busy playing games before I met her. The only thing that made the feeling even better was the fact that I knew the girl in front of me was the one who had accepted me and stayed with me, regardless of the situations I had gotten myself into.

"Welcome back, Kirito-kun."

I could do nothing but stumble over to her and embrace her with a hug. She stood up and welcomed me into her arms; even though I had held her when initially catching her out of the air, and then again when I was carrying her on my back, this felt so different, it felt _so_ much better. My friend, my in-game wife, my real-life girlfriend, my best partner. I was finally able to be with her again.

Time seemed to be at a standstill as we held each other, neither of us wanting to let go of each other. I almost wanted to make up for the years where she and I had been apart, holding her for as long as I would have done so during this entire period of time. But if I did that, we wouldn't let go of each other in the foreseeable future, and maybe we'd even both starve to death. Eventually, though very reluctantly, we split apart, though my right hand continued to hold onto her left.

It was then when I finally realized that my face was completely wet with tears, and so were Asuna's. But through our tear-stained faces, we managed to laugh at each other, taking our free hands to wipe off the other's tears.

"Kirito-kun, I'm so glad you're okay."

"Yeah, me too, Asuna. You're safe and sound."

After that short exchange, I paused for a short moment before leaning in to kiss her. The subtleties were so accurately captured, it felt exactly like it did in the Real World. There wasn't an aspect of it which felt unnatural. The moistness of her lips, the softness of her cheeks, the wonderful fragrance that wafted off her body; every single last bit of it was captured perfectly. It was like we, Kirigaya Kazuto and Yuuki Asuna, rather than Kirito and Asuna, were here.

I heard someone nearby clearing their throat, causing me to look their way in a panic, breaking me away from my tender moment with Asuna. I could feel the colour rising in my face rather quickly. Even though Asuna and I had been together for so long, doing these things in public was still embarrassing and somewhat uncomfortable. The ones who had interrupted us were Deusolbert and Fanatio, one who had a deadpan face, and the other who was showing me a face full of mocking surprise. Maybe I should do that the next time I see her and Bercouli together…

"Ah, I guess I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Fanatio Synthesis Two. I am one of the Integrity Knights who have been tasked with the protection of this land. Next to me stands Deusolbert Synthesis Seven, also of the same order. And you are not Lady Stacia, I presume?"

"Yes, that's correct. My name is Asuna. I'm not a goddess, I'm a human being just like you. And I came from the same place that Kirito did, which would be –"

Asuna cut herself off before looking at me, seemingly uncertain if she should divulge the whole truth. As I was about to continue her explanation, Deusolbert interjected.

"From what's called the 'Outside World', right?"

Surprised, Asuna looked at me, clearly wondering if I had told all the residents of this world of the truth behind their existence. I quickly shook my head because in this case, it wasn't me; Fanatio had definitely sat down with Deusolbert last night to explain the situation to him. Now I wondered who else had also been informed.

"Who else did you tell about this?"

"Only Deusolbert. Bercouli told me that you want to break the news to the knights together, right? Then afterwards, we'd all think of some way to tell the rest of the people. I'm not going to be stealing your work. I'll let you deal with the tough stuff."

What a classic "delegation of tasks". Seeing as she understood how difficult it would be for people to accept this truth, she didn't hesitate to throw all that challenging work onto me. Regardless, I did feel that it would be my duty to explain this, but with Asuna at my side, maybe my information would be more easily accepted.

"Yeah, the 'Outside World' is where we're from. If you want to know more, ask anything and I'll try to answer as best as I can."

I looked back towards the east, where the massive white marble wall was still barely visible through the foggy mountains as it reflected off the sun's rays. Then, I turned my head a hundred-eighty degrees towards Centoria, where the final battle would be fought. Even now, I could not make out any of its features. Who knows how much longer we'd have to travel before we could finally get there. As long as we arrived before the Dark Territory did, we should at least have a fighting chance. And to prevent that from happening, we would have to move as quickly as possible. Seeing the sun slowly rising in the sky, I turned to Fanatio, Deusolbert, and Asuna.

"But anyways, let's get a move on. Before the Dark Territory catches up to us."

* * *

 **A/N**

I never expected the destruction of the gate to be so… flamboyant. Yes, the story does say "a flash of light reaching to the heavens" but my eyes were assaulted with a little too much light. On the other hand, Alice's attack looked pretty fire (no pun intended). And, I never realized that ogres are wolfmen (honestly what's up with this one)?!

Enough complaining about the anime, now's the part where I talk about the latest thing that's been distracting me. Instead of being something I'd do on my computer, it was the computer itself. I've been scoping out my new PC that I'm building, and got sucked into the routine of watching reviews of hundreds of products, all while checking sales every day. Fun times ahead, but I'm hoping to get my components either during Black Friday or Boxing Day (Canadian thing).

It's really awkward for me to describe Deusolbert as "two-metres tall". Even though we do use the metric system in Canada, height and weight are so much more natural to me in feet and pounds respectively. But in Japan, metric is king, so I have to respect the fact that Kirito's going to be thinking in terms of metres and kilograms.

Anyways, the next few chapters will be more like side stories. Because everyone's separated now, I want to go and tell the stories of a couple of brave warriors throughout the Human Empire's Army. See y'all next time :)


	15. Chapter 14 - Overflowing

_**Chapter 14 – Overflowing**_

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11/16/380

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Embarking on her first mission should have filled her with anticipation and excitement, but in these circumstances, it was nothing but a morbid curse. Simply put, Sortiliena had seen something which supposedly should have been impenetrable instead crumble into nothingness, and had also witnessed the armies of demons encroaching onto the lands which she had vowed to protect. She had been powerless to stop this from happening; even her best efforts, along with those of the rest of the soldiers and the Integrity Knights, had failed to hold the narrow corridor which extended inwards from the Great Eastern Gate. Now, there was nothing left to do but run. When that mysterious, infinitely tall wall appeared in her sights, it brought utter confusion for herself and anyone else standing beside her. That wall had saved their lives, and Sortiliena was sure of the fact. As to how it appeared, however, she could not think of any answers. Unless by some miracle, it was the work of the Gods themselves, she could not imagine any art being so absolutely domineering to the point where it could be described as _infinite_.

She thought that perhaps when the sun rose, it would tell another story, and she would be able to spot the finite limits of this wall. But when the light of Solus returned, she could only see an ending to the southern edge of the wall. It was bounded in the horizontal plane, but as for the vertical one… it continued to extend far into the clouds. Further than any human eye could see, the wall climbed until it was more than equal to the clouds drifting in the wind. Like a never-ending beam of light which would not stop until it reached the Gods in the Heavens, the wall extended far beyond the reach of humanity.

It wasn't long before she could see the armies of the Dark Territory beginning to make their way around the wall, heading towards the open space that the wall was ultimately incapable of sealing up. Being near the edge of the wall meant that it would be herself and the soldiers around her who would face the wrath of their enemies before anyone else. She had hoped that Integrity Knight Warrick Synthesis Twenty would be well aware of this, and it seemed so, as he hurriedly rushed them to retreat as quickly as possible. At the very least, they would have solid ground almost their entire way to the capital. This way, it was unlikely that the Dark Territory would be able to catch up to them.

But partway through their journey, Warrick had decided to change course and head ever so slightly into the famed wetlands of the Eastabarieth Empire. Even Sortiliena herself, who had lived in the Norlangarth Empire all her life, had heard rumours about how difficult this area of land was to traverse. The ones who were from the east were obviously confused by his decisions, but decided not to bring it up. Certainly, the Integrity Knight had a proper plan in mind, and would not be doing this straight out of his whims. When they reached the first village, Sortiliena finally understood the crux of the plan. And thus, all the questions regarding their Esteemed Knight's previous actions were dispelled.

However, the problem remained that now their progress would be delayed. Sortiliena knew from the others' experience that the terrain here in the heart of the Eastabarieth Empire was so difficult to traverse that any road infrastructure had never sprung up in its entire existence. It was simply too challenging and costly to maintain, and so most people travelled in small groups, carrying sleds rather than wagons. It was very likely that the Dark Territory, after seeing how their human enemies were struggling to move through the ground themselves, would choose to skirt around the edges of the empire to make up as much ground as possible.

In due time, the Dark Territory would once again appear in the sights of the Human Army, catching up to them before long. And with that, it would become even more critical to ensure that all the villagers in the area were evacuated before they would fall victim to these denizens of the Dark Territory who knew nothing but slaughter and pillage. If absolutely necessary, they would have to stand and fight, buying as much time as possible so that these citizens of the Human Empire would be able to live to see another day. But Sortiliena knew that this would likely result in the end of the journey for her and the others she was fighting alongside. If they made their stand here, it would probably be impossible for them to join with the rest of the army in the defence of Centoria, their final and ultimate stronghold.

Despite the imminent danger, Sortiliena could not help but be drawn towards the same thoughts which had plagued her mind every single night since she had arrived at the Great Eastern Gate. In the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament, she had unfortunately fallen at the first stage. Completely overwhelmed by her opponent's strength, strength which had not sacrificed any of his gracefulness either, the simply superior raw talent that he displayed had finally handed Sortiliena her first defeat since the third of four test matches held during the year at the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy. Having been defeated by the then first seat Volo Levantein, who had fully overwhelmed her with the High Norkia Style and its overwhelming power, all her hopes of becoming an amazing swordswoman were shattered. At that time, she had empirical evidence that no amount of speed and flexibility could defeat the raw power that some were simply gifted with, coupled with a style which could accentuate those specific traits.

Those thoughts continued until she met Kirito. He had been her valet, a first-year student of the Swordcraft Academy, who had surprisingly managed to fight the first seat Volo to a draw. He had even been dissatisfied with that outcome! One of the reasons that Sortiliena had picked Kirito to be her valet was the fact that they both did not rely on single crushing strikes, but rather a flurry of blows which would eventually render their opponent powerless. It was so much more practical, at least that was what she thought, than the High Norkia style which looked to be more for show. With a style so very similar to the one she herself used, Kirito held his own against a man she could never defeat with her own power. The end of that battle gave her newfound strength and determination. It hadn't been the style she used which was inferior, but rather it was _herself_. Her belief in her own skills and abilities, her belief in the ingenuity behind the technique she used. The thought that her own style would always be second place had never left her mind until that moment, considering how her family was forced to abandon the High Norkia style, and thus her ancestors had no choice but to create this ragtag Serlut style.

In the following days after Kirito's match with Volo, she trained incessantly, not necessarily with her sword, but with her mind instead. She constantly told herself this, "I never had any doubts about my skills. I've only ever doubted the skills that I have been using." And on the final day, the fourth and final "graduation" match, her resolve had been clearly seen to everyone in attendance. Using the same battling style which she had grown up training with, she had been able to graduate as the first seat of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, finally besting the one who had defeated her thrice. That day, _he_ had witnessed it as well. Her own valet, Kirito, who had watched her struggles through the entirety of the past year, cheering her on and wearing an expression of pure joy when she finally stood victorious on that stage without anyone standing in her way anymore. She knew that Kirito would always refer to this victory as having come from her own strength, but Sortiliena would not let his humility stand in the way of the truth. She was well aware that without the motivation from her beloved valet, it would not have been possible for her to defeat her greatest rival. In the end, she was unable to voice her thanks to Kirito, but she never stopped expressing her gratitude for him in her heart. She could do nothing but accept his gift to her: the planter full of blooming zephilia flowers, which he had cultivated just for her. All she was able to do was smile in thanks, and tear up in joy; her voice would not allow itself to be heard at all. Carrying that feeling of victory and confidence that she gained from her final bout with Volo, she strived to do the same in the upcoming swordsmanship tournaments in which she would partake.

Unfortunately, her streak of victory would shortly come to an end. Competing in the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament, she was unable to advance past the very first round, her sword and whip unable to lead her to even a single victory. And she had lost to another practitioner of the High Norkia style, nonetheless. However, the way that her opponent fought was far different than any of the others she had gone against in the past. Though unrelenting in his stance and technique, he was not afraid to bring an aspect of flexibility into his style. And when she was faced with an opponent who not only overpowered her, but was also willing to change the way he fought in order to nullify his opponent's advantage, there was no other ending than her inevitable defeat. But despite being brought down once again, she was not crushed as she had been the previous time. She had already proven to herself that her Serlut Style, though not even remotely similar to the High Norkia Style that the high-ranking nobles used, could still bare its fangs. The works of her ancestors who had tirelessly built up this style had not wasted their time, and she only needed to work on her own skills to bring herself to the next level. That day, she left the battlefield with her head held high, full of respect for her own achievements, as well as the incredible display of swordsmanship from her opponent. He was the representative of the Norlangarth Knighthood, a young man by the name of Eldrie Woolsburg.

After losing in that tournament, she had decided to return to her family, to see the ones she had left behind for the past two years during her time as a student at the Swordcraft Academy. She could not return home a champion, but she was plenty proud of what she had been able to accomplish. And her parents had felt the same way, welcoming her with open arms. In fact, both of them had come to support her at the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament, witnessing the growth she had experienced during her time as a student. Though she had not claimed even a single victory, she had shown her own parents that she had already proven herself as one of the greatest in the Norlangarth Empire when it came to skill with the sword.

But she could not stay at her estate for long; it was imperative that she take on her calling. As a swordswoman, and a graduate of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, there were quite a few roads open to her. In the end, she chose to become a member of the Norlangarth Imperial Guard, quickly rising up to the position of a Chief Guard. She knew that choosing to live by the sword every single day was her best hope of continuously becoming more and more adept. And by staying in Centoria, she would be able to witness the day when Kirito would graduate from the Swordcraft Academy, and likely represent the school in the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament. With his skill, anything less than that would be completely unexpected.

It wasn't until much later, however, that she realized this hope would never come true. A mere month after joining the Imperial Guard, she was informed by an Integrity Knight, whose name she could not even remember, that they were all to head to the edge of the Eastabarieth Empire. For almost all the members of the Norlangarth Guard, including herself, it was their first opportunity to travel to another part of the Human Empire. There was excitement among other emotions, and Sortiliena herself relished in the opportunity to meet swordsmen and swordswomen who used styles with moves she might have never even seen before. _This_ was the type of environment which would incite the greatest growth in her sword skills.

Along the way, they finally learned of the reason for their deployment to the east, and hearing that news truly frightened Sortiliena. She could have never imagined a situation where the Dark Territory, the denizens of that treacherous land beyond the End Mountains, would have the ability to launch a full-scale invasion of the Human Empire. It shook her to her very core, and the others around her did not fare much better. It became all the more unbelievable when she arrived to see the Great Eastern Gate which was slated to crumble in time, becoming an open passage to the other side where the monsters lived. No matter how incredulous this claim may have sounded, she still had absolute trust in the Integrity Knight who had announced this for them all to hear. If she recalled correctly, that knight's name was Bercouli: a massive swordsman clad in blue robes, limbs as thick as tree trunks, exuding an aura that only the most masterful of swordsmen would be able to display. In terms of pure strength, it was obvious that his strength would be unmatched, above all others in the entirety of the Human Empire. She could only hope that the opportunity would arise where she would be able to spar against this absolute beast of a swordsman.

She soon found out that this Integrity Knight Bercouli was actually Integrity Knight Commander Bercouli Synthesis One, the oldest and strongest knight who was also crowned leader of the Order of the Integrity Knights. From the little she had seen, he was incredibly powerful, equivalent to over a thousand regular soldiers of the Imperial Guard. Sortiliena tried to calculate how many times over Bercouli's power trumped her own, and she estimated that he could fight off at least fifty of herself, all at the same time. And she suspected that this man was still not showing his full strength in this day-to-day life. When the time for battle came, she was sure her evaluation of him would have to be completely redone.

As the days went on, she tried to search for acquaintances other than Volo, the only other person who had joined the Imperial Guard after graduating from the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy. She encountered a few others from the same class of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy who had also decided to join the Human Army when the call-to-arms came about. After graduating, they had instead chosen to return to their families and take on the same positions held by their parents, owing to the fact that they were never skilled enough to be near the top of their class, but when the Integrity Knights called on all able-bodied individuals to protect the Human Empire from the invading Dark Territory, they had all responded to that call, proudly taking up their swords once again to protect the home they so very loved.

Eventually, she found two others who she was familiar with, but were not part of the same graduating class of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy. One, she expected to see, considering he had recently become an Integrity Knight. The newly knighted Eldrie Synthesis Thirty-One, the swordsman who had defeated Sortiliena in the first round of the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament. If he had not been there at the tournament, there was a good chance that she could have become an Integrity Knight in his stead. After all, she had barely lost by the slightest of margins in their match.

What she discovered was that the Eldrie she met here in the camp was a far cry from the one she had battled against. There was something so very different about him, and it wasn't just because he had become an Integrity Knight and had some of the highest authority in the Human Empire. No, there was something intangible about him which she simply could not lay her finger on… but he was different. There were times when their paths crossed, and Eldrie did not even glance in her direction. She was sure that she had made a deep impression on him during their match, and he had even said so afterwards when they exchanged pleasantries. But his demeanor had taken a complete turn, with him barely acknowledging her presence. It was almost as if his memories of the tournament had been taken away from him, and Sortiliena was now but a stranger to him.

The peculiarity of this situation was something that Sortiliena could not describe into words, and it was enough to make her feel so uncomfortable. And this same feeling extended for the other person whom she recognized. It wasn't the place, nor the time, that she expected to see him. At this time, he should have still been in Centoria, at the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, training and preparing for the future ahead of him. There was no reason for him to be here, in the thick of things, unless the students of the Swordcraft Academies all around the Human Empire had been recruited as well. And not only was he there as a participant, but it looked like he was training up soldiers too! Sortiliena silently wondered what had happened to him since the beginning of the year, as it had been not even two months since he began his time as a second-year student at the Academy, yet it was almost like he had become a completely different person. That transformation had disturbed Sortiliena much more than Eldrie's seemingly missing memory; to the point where she actively avoided Kirito, taking great care to be out of his sight, while still trying to keep an eye on him. But she would see him talking to the Integrity Knights like they were old friends… especially the Knight Commander Bercouli. Those two were close to the point where you could convince someone that they were father and son.

She wasn't even sure that this new Kirito would even carry any memory of who she was, given what she had observed from Eldrie's situation. If he had already risen to the point where he was training up new recruits, then he had far surpassed what Sortiliena was able to do. Sure, she had anticipated that this would eventually happen in the future, but it was truly a shock to see that within two months of her graduation, this major change had already taken place. She thought it best to stay away from him for now; though it looked like he was still the same caring, genuine person, the stark contrast between the Kirito she had as her valet and the Kirito who now stood in front of her instilled fear and uncertainty into her heart. Even stranger, no matter where she searched and looked, she could find no sign of Eugeo, the good friend of Kirito who had been Golgorosso Balto's valet. The two were inseparable, so she found it odd that one would come here without the other, unless something tragic had happened and the two had parted ways.

Kirito and Eldrie… two individuals who had changed her significantly, were no longer the same people who had incited the initial transformation within her in the first place. At least, there was still Volo, who remained the same, completely unchanged since his Academy days. Sortiliena could find solace in his rigid, unrelenting self. Both of them had risen to the rank of Chief Guard within the Imperial Guard, owing to the fact that their skills were recognized as among the best in the Norlangarth Empire, with many having witnessed the Imperial Battle Tournament. Additionally, despite their age, they were mature beyond their years, and because of that, there was no hesitation from the higher ups to elevate them to this position of greater importance and responsibility.

When the battle first began, both were assigned to be under Integrity Knight Warrick Synthesis Twenty, each serving as one of his sub-commanders. The chaos of war was truly above anything she had ever experienced before; the structured tournaments in which she had previously fought could only provide so much experience on this battlefield filled with death and treachery. She had witnessed many of her comrades falling to the blades, spears, bows, and axes of their enemies, their blood flowing, up until the point when they were fully drained of their Life, finally falling destitute and disappearing into the sky in a shower of golden dust. She had never witnessed so much death and destruction in her life, and she hoped that this war, whenever it ended, would be the last time that she had to experience these horrid events. There was no honour in these so-called "battles"; any and all underhanded tricks were used to beat down the enemy in front of them. The only thing that would bring victory was the death of those you were fighting against, but once that first "battle" ended, another would immediately begin.

Now on the run, and finally catching barely a sight of the Dark Territory which was in pursuit of them, she knew that the only thing awaiting them was another dose of annihilation and carnage. They were nearing a village too, so that would have to be evacuated with the highest priority before any battle preparations could be done. Sortiliena hurriedly cleared her mind of her daydreams as they approached the simple wooden walls of the village. She could already see the concerned faces of the villagers themselves, crowded around the entranceway to the city, obviously not accustomed to so many visitors at once, certainly not armed ones. A lot of work would have to be done to get all the residents out safely, and then consider the path forward: would they retreat along with those they had just warned to flee, or would they take a stand and fight?

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The town of Alario was situated at the bend of one of the Eastabarieth Empire's major rivers, the Corough River. The river ran wide at this point, allowing the town to prosper as somewhat of a trading post. Transportation by water was the only dependable way to move any sort of materials here in this wetland region, and Alario's existence was crucial to many of the other small towns which were situated all along the river. Without the trade that Alario could provide, none of these other villages could exist, and it was likely that much of this land here in the heart of the Eastabarieth empire would be completely uninhabited. Without these trade routes, the quality of life for the residents who decided to make the End Mountains their home would be ground down to the most basic of necessities.

The rocky outcropping that the town of Alario was built upon ensured that it would not have the same issues which plagued almost all the other towns in the Eastabarieth Empire; a firm foundation was fully prepared for infrastructure development. In reality, Alario was more like two smaller villages which had coalesced into one – the bend in the river also signified a change in elevation, and here stood one of the most beautiful natural sights Sortiliena had ever seen in her life. The waterfall roared as the waters crashed down onto the riverbed below. As she stood, lost in thought, marvelling at the sight of the raw power of this flow of water, she was constantly buffeted by the sea spray, as well as the winds that this crashing water created. There were houses built both upstream and downstream of the waterfall, with a few narrow mountain passes linking the two. In essence, they were separate towns, but because of their close proximity, they operated as one whole. It seemed like a whole logistical nightmare to transport goods because of this waterfall, but Sortiliena neither had the time nor the patience to observe the process.

In the few hours prior, a counteroffensive plan was quickly drawn up by Integrity Knight Warrick, which was meant to use as much of the natural land to their advantage. Familiarity with the land wouldn't be the deciding factor in this strategy, as it utilized a feature of the landscape that anyone could see and hear, even from afar. Warrick's plan was to use the lower part of the town as bait, stationing some of the Human Army's soldiers down there to contend with the Dark Territory's forces amidst the streets. And when their pursuers were drawn close enough, the flow of the river would be completely diverted, dumping the entire flow of the river right on top of their enemies. It was utterly destructive to what the villagers had left behind, but it was also the army's only choice. The residents of this peaceful town would have to pick up all the broken pieces and start their lives anew, but at least they could have a chance to do this. A building could be rebuilt; human lives could not. It was a risk worth taking, a sacrifice worth making. No matter how much she did not want to destroy other peoples' livelihood, Sortiliena knew there simply was no better solution, especially not within such a short time frame.

She volunteered to be one of the members who acted as bait in the lower part of the town, while she saw that Volo was assigned to be part of one of the groups who would try funnelling the Dark Territory's army towards where the river would overflow. And so here she was, admiring the grand waterfall which, if the plan came to fruition, would cease to flow in its regular course. The only problem would be how well the river's flow could be diverted. Of course, because they were no longer in barren edges of the Human Empire, the land and air were both rich in Sacred Power, meaning that Integrity Knight Warrick could use his mastery over the Sacred Arts to procure some sort of dam to change where the river would head towards. The entire plan was reliant on how much water would flow onto the land and ruin their enemy's formation and pace. If they flooding failed, then Sortiliena and the rest of her comrades would be stuck down here until their Life ran dry.

Even if the plan worked, there was no guarantee that the ones who had volunteered as bait would remain with their lives intact. Integrity Knight Warrick had made that very clear when he described this plan in detail, and even more so when Sortiliena stood to present herself to stay on the lower levels. But with her resolute answer, Sortiliena had witnessed many others, including almost all of the ones directly under her command, put their lives on the line for the success of the plan. It very nearly moved her to tears knowing that she was fighting alongside such brave and loyal people, that they would unhesitatingly throw away their own futures so that others could experience one without strife and discord.

"Reporting! The scouts atop the city have confirmed that the enemy is nearly in range. Integrity Knight Warrick has ordered the commencement of the strategy!"

Sortiliena turned towards the soldier who had come bearing this news, nodding to him while unsheathing her sword. This instrument, which she had carried through her days as a student in the Swordcraft Academy, as well as her short time in the Norlangarth Imperial Guard, would hopefully help keep the enemy at bay for just a bit longer. As long as she could contribute to the overall defensive effort, and save many, many other lives, then she would gladly lay down her life for that cause. When she lifted her head to gaze at the scenery one last time before it became a berserk battlefield, she noticed the rest of the members of this squad were already in position to receive their enemies. Quickly, she rushed off to where she was supposed to be, and waited for their enemies to step into the jaws of their trap.

Not long after she did, the first of the Dark Territory's forces arrived. It was the orcs. At least it wasn't the Dark Arts Users, or else this entire town would be burnt to a crisp within seconds. Because Alario was only a relatively small town, it was soon clogged with the Dark Territory's soldiers. No longer could Sortiliena see any of her comrades, as she skillfully jumped between the rooftops of multiple buildings, desperately escaping her pursuers while striking down the ones who came too close to her. Sooner or later, she would run out of strength and inevitably she would either be killed or caught as a slave.

 _Integrity Knight Warrick, I hope you're prepared. This town is now teeming with our enemies. The time is now to divert the river!_

Sortiliena screamed in her heart as she struggled to catch her own breath. At least on the front lines at the Great Eastern Gate, the battle lines would hardly move during the day, and even if they did, everything changed at a slow pace, over a long period of time. Here, she was forced to run around, jumping from building to building, leading her pursuers on a wild goose chase. Fatigue was beginning to set in, and for the first time, she could feel her legs screaming for release. How many more minutes she could keep this up, she did not know. Her lethargic state had gotten to the point where she was constantly glancing at the top of the waterfall every few seconds, waiting for that glorious rush of water which would signify the conclusion of this ambitious plan.

And finally, her prayers were answered. In a torrent of liquid, water rained down into the streets. Catching her breath as she witnessed this ethereal scene, the onrushing wave smashing through the buildings nearest to the cliff face, she opened her arms wide, smiling, as if she was receiving a long-lost friend.

* * *

Volo Levantein hadn't swung down his sword so many times in a single day since the days when he would spend hours practicing his technique in the woods behind the Swordcraft Academy. The never-ending swaths of enemies were to be guided towards the so-called "kill-zone", where the river's water was supposed to flow towards. Most of his clashes did not end with a casualty, only pushing his opponent back before he turned around to head closer to his target position. This constant running and sword fighting tired him to the bone, and he was not sure how much longer he could keep this up. He could already see the soldiers around him, who were not as well-conditioned as he was, gasping for air. With every swing, it was more like their enemies were pushing them back, rather than the opposite. Sooner or later, he knew that these brave soldiers would lose their lives in the chaos of battle. But they only needed to bring these enemies within the flow path of the diverted river, and hopefully Integrity Knight Warrick would release the river to its new-found path to wash away their enemies.

Volo had originally wished to be down in the town itself, as part of the group which would be serving as bait to hold the Dark Territory's attention for as long as possible. However, he had never volunteered for this task. As he fought, he constantly asked himself why he did not stand up. Especially after seeing Sortiliena Serlut be the first to rise for that role, the woman who had managed to defeat him in the final test of the year at the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy to graduate as the top seat. By no means did he hold any grudges against her, but her victory had shown him that the High Norkia style was not absolute. He already had a sense of this when he had the practice match with her valet at the time, Kirito. The way he had splendidly fought him had led to a tie as the match was stopped prematurely by the dorm supervisor Azurica. However, he had a feeling that if the match had been allowed to continue, there was a good chance that he would have lost his undefeated title to a first-year student.

And now he had seen this former valet of hers again, in a place that he least expected. After all, he was only supposed to be a second-year student at the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy, with still nearly another year before graduation. Yet he appeared at the front lines, his whole demeanor different than the day they had clashed in the practice match. Just as Sortiliena dared not approach him, he followed her lead and decided to stay away from him. As he himself prepared for the upcoming war, he quickly forgot about Kirito's presence and carried on with his own duties. He even saw the one who had defeated him in the Norlangarth Imperial Battle Tournament, Eldrie Woolsburg, but that man did not even acknowledge Volo's presence after becoming an Integrity Knight. Though a little startled and displeased that his opponent did not seem to even have the slightest of memories regarding himself, he also disregarded this matter and moved on with his daily life.

It was just the type of person Volo was; he would not bother to nurse old grudges when the opportunity presented itself, instead choosing to remain fixed onto the next goal, constantly striving forward without fail. And the next step in this plan was for the waters to flow into the heart of the enemy. And finally, the torrential downpour was more than just a plan; it had finally become a reality. Quickly retreating backwards away from the deadly cascading flood, he and his enemies alike watched as a large portion of the Dark Territory's troops were crushed by the raging waters. The plan had worked wonderfully, but it was too early to celebrate, as there were still some who were not caught up in the deluge.

Swiftly, he moved towards his enemies again, swinging down his sword to cleave apart the orcs who were still standing in front of him. The other soldiers by his side followed his lead, charging back into the enemy in their moment of disarray. It was a perfect play – the demise of many of their adversaries, and the destruction of their enemy's morale. If they could crush this force of the Dark Territory, not only would it give them enough time to escape back to Centoria, but it would also strike a large blow in the strength of the army that they were up against.

But soon, he could hear the screams of humans _behind_ himself. Confusion wrapped his mind. He did not catch any other group that their foes had sent, so everyone who they were fighting against should have been standing on their eastern side. As Volo turned to grasp the situation behind, he saw hooded assailants causing mass panic among those who had helped dam the river. In all his experience, as a student or a soldier, he had never encountered an enemy who did not show their faces. He was certain, however, of the identity of these beings who dared to assault from the shadows. Without a doubt, it was the Assassin's Guild of the Dark Territory. The unit let by Integrity Knight Warrick had been so unlucky as to run into both the orcs and the deadliest killers known to the Underworld. This time, the Human Empire was truly trapped, with enemies both in front and behind. Getting out of this situation to safety had now become infinitely harder.

The same two possible courses of action presented themselves once again: run and hope to live another day, or stay and fight. The first time that this choice needed to be made, Integrity Knight Warrick elected to stand his ground, despite knowing that all their lives could have ended miserably at the hands of their enemies. However, several strokes of good fortune to go along with a plan executed to near perfection allowed the tables to be turned. But the arrival of the Assassin's Guild clearly shifted the advantage of the battlefield back to their enemies, as the Human Army was now being squeezed together from both sides. This time, there was no Integrity Knight around to make the decision, as Warrick was preoccupied ensuring that the flow of the river was redirected properly. This time, it fell to Volo to make the decision for himself, and possibly for those who were a part of his squad.

Unlike Warrick, he did not have any ingenious plan which could possibly turn the situation around, so the choice was clear this time. Run away, fight another day. A cowardly move, but it could possibly allow him to have another chance to protect his homeland. He did not like the idea of leaving some of his fellow soldiers to die, but if he tried to save them, there was a very good chance that no survivors would be leaving the battlefield today. Besides, wasn't it better to preserve the lives of the stronger soldiers? Volo was certain that in the battles to come, he would most definitely be able to make a bigger impact on the battlefield, so mathematically, it just made sense for him to escape while his enemies were distracted by others.

But at the same time, he could not let himself run away while knowing that his comrades were fighting for their lives. When he thought of it, it was as if he could feel a small pain in the back of his right eye, with the vision in that eye becoming the slightest shade closer to the colour of the blood that was gushing out all around him. Perhaps that was a symbol from the Gods, telling him that he should not abandon the ones he was fighting alongside. His mind was telling him that the better option would be to use the lives of the other soldiers as a sacrifice so that he could escape, but his body was very clearly telling him that it was his duty to live, or die, alongside the friends that he had fought beside.

He would trust that the soldiers behind him who were contending with the Assassin's Guild would protect his back, while he would do everything in his power to protect theirs. Until their last breath, they would endeavour to hold off their enemies, and, if the situation did present itself, they could all escape together. So with full force, Volo once again swung down his sword, a steel-gray sword with a polished golden-brown hilt. Exhilaration like nothing he had experienced before filled his body, coursing through his veins like he had consumed some miraculous strengthening potion. Moved by his renewed energy, out of the corners of his eyes he was able to spot the other members of his unit raising their voices and once again clashing against their enemy.

Volo smiled. As one unit, they would fight until their last breath. That was the unspoken agreement that they had made in that singular moment.

* * *

At last, the effects of this "potion" were running dry. Many of his compatriots who had devoted their lives to this cause had now lost it. Their swings were becoming more sluggish by the second, and Volo could feel the same effects in his body as well. Taking a quick peek behind him, the Assassin's Guild had mostly cleared out the soldiers standing in the rear. Volo sighed inwardly. It looked like his time was up. There wouldn't be another day to fight.

All of a sudden, a red spear shot its way through the open mouth of the orc in front of him. And as the head of the spear jerked backwards, a sharp snapping noise could be heard from the neck of the orc. Like a ragdoll, its body was flung back where it came from, tumbling down the slope while knocking down a few orcs in the process. Integrity Knight Warrick Synthesis Twenty regripped his spear, before thrusting it at another unsuspecting orc. In a few quick strokes, it has completely lost its head and both arms, and what remained of its body was barrelling down the slope before it could even return to dust.

"Run! All of you! Get out of here!"

Between spirited thrusts and swipes, Warrick detailed his short, clear instructions for the group.

"Follow our plan! Get to the other villages and get _everyone_ out of there! Don't turn back! If they don't listen to you then –"

Warrick spun his spear in a full circle, knocking down several of the orcs who were forming a circle around him. With his right hand, he tore his helmet off and tossed it to Volo. Receiving the heavy metal element, Volo then raised his eyes to meet those of Warrick, who was baring his intense gaze directly at him.

"Tell them that this is by the authority of Integrity Knight Warrick Synthesis Twenty. My helmet will carry my authority."

Immediately, Warrick turned back towards the fight, knocking down anyone who dared to get close to him. The orcs were no match for him; his spear pierced throats and slashed armour into two. Seeing their knight's spirited fight, Volo couldn't help but want to stand with this man, to fight alongside him so that they could eliminate their enemies together. But he was well aware that he must obey his Esteemed Integrity Knight's orders. Reluctantly turning around, Volo nodded at his companions, before taking off towards the west. But the Human Army could not escape from their enemies; though Warrick was holding the orcs at bay, the Assassin's Guild were still free to roam.

Volo could hear screams of pain and dread as the retreating party was dispatched one by one by the various methods of the Assassin's Guild.

"Damn it! Integrity Knight Warrick's sacrifice would be completely useless if none of us can escape and get to the next village! We have to shake these hooded guys off!"

"We can't! They're carrying much less equipment than we are, and we're completely exhausted from fighting!"

Volo agreed with the second man's evaluation of the situation. The Assassin's Guild, though relatively weak in a direct fight, were more than skilled at the art of murder. It was the difference between being a legendary warrior and an expert killer. And because they did not have the warrior's spirit, they cared not about honour and prestige. They did not desire a good fight, and would not even blink an eye if a few of their enemies stayed back to delay their path forward. Any of the assassins who were sufficiently out of range would simply ignore the soldiers of the Human Army who were putting their lives on the line. Instead, these assassins would continue targeting the ones who were still fleeing. Only if someone could strike down all the assassins would the hunt finally cease.

A thunderous roar, followed by a flying spear, captivated Volo's vision and hearing. It was the same crimson spear that had appeared in his vision a few minutes prior. As quickly as it had appeared and stabbed into the wet dirt, it flew back into the hand of its owner. In the distance, he could hear a voice, rising against the din of the clamors of hundreds of orcs. Integrity Knight Warrick's last words of encouragement rose above the other sounds of the battlefield, including the rumble of the waterfall.

"Don't worry about these assassins! I'll get them off your back!"

After spotting the same spear appearing and disappearing tens of times, Volo noticed that the crowd of assassins which were chasing them had thinned to the extent where their count was around the same as the number of Human Army soldiers who were currently retreating. That meant they could face these killers in direct contests, something that they should all have the upper hand at. And it was also around this time when Warrick's spear ceased to fly in and pick off individual members of the Assassin's Guild. But based on the ruckus far behind them, Volo could still assume that the knight's fighting spirit was still strong, but the sheer number of foes he had to face was simply too much for him to turn his attention over here for even a single moment.

Integrity Knight Warrick had already helped enough. He had sliced down the immense numerical advantage that the Assassin's Guild once had when they first began to pursue. Now, it was possible for the Human Army to fight back and beat all their adversaries in a head-on confrontation. Knowing that, Volo, raising Warrick's helmet high in the sky, shouted with all his might.

"Charge!"

Immediately understanding what Volo meant, the other soldiers of the Human Army instantly turned around, unsheathing their swords and baring them at the enemy which had been pursuing them. With the aid of their Integrity Knight, the hunters had now become the hunted. Their counterattack to wipe out the Assassin's Guild began at a moment's notice, with all the soldiers' enthusiasm overflowing as they bellowed at the enemy which had cut down so many of their friends.

* * *

 **A/N**

I honestly can't believe that it's been exactly a year since I posted my first chapter (I totally planned the timing of this chapter). So far, there's been 15 chapters, which means on average, I've posted a chapter every 3.5 weeks or so, which I guess isn't too shabby. Though I've got to remind myself that the original plan was to post in 2.5-week intervals, so that plan clearly fell a little through the roof.

I never expected to have received the support that I've gotten – I'm extremely thankful for every single follow, favourite, view, and review. To me, it's still mind-boggling to login to the site and see these kinds of numbers.

Considering that the chapters I write keep diverging from my original plot outline, I don't really have a good idea of how much longer this tale will go on. All I know is that I've got a lot more story to tell, so I hope you'll all stick around till the end!


	16. Chapter 15 - Mission

_**Chapter 15 – Mission**_

* * *

11/14/380

* * *

With the sun rising, Alice's cover in the forest was finally broken. She could no longer hide using the darkness of night, and the shadows of the trees could only mask her presence to a limited extent. She had already served her purpose here in the forest, doing her best to distract the armies of the Dark Territory so that it would be easier for the Human Army to escape their predicament. And she was sure that many of their enemies had been distracted by her presence, as the ruckus around her during the night basically confirmed her apparent popularity. Alice didn't have any estimates as to how many of the Dark Territory's forces had foolishly followed her into the woodlands that she escaped into, but with the number of enemies she had managed to strike down, she could tell that it was an inordinate amount.

By the time the rays of Solus were about to strike the ground, Alice had shaken off most of her enemies, silently preparing for her own escape to return to the main fight. Rather, she should say that it was the _sun's_ rays, since Solus was a fictional deity conceived of by the creators of this world, meant to deceive all who were born and raised in the Underworld. If her enemies were no longer directly on her tail, then it would be best for her to slip out of the forest unnoticed and head back towards the rest of the Human Army. She didn't want to spend another moment stuck in this forest; returning to the real fight was her number one priority.

She looked down at her Osmanthus Blade, now dirtied and marred with countless splotches and streaks of blood. Some of those red bits had already dried, since they had already been there for hours. Not all of it had dried, however, and blood was still freely flowing down from the tip of her sword. Alice quickly realized that she would need to clean off her blade to prevent herself from being tracked. Besides, all the bloody residue would only work to reduce the Life of her sword, and she did not want her lifeline being eroded by what remained of her enemies. Finding a couple of large leaves on a nearby tree, she stripped them cleanly, then proceeded to wipe off the leftovers from the previous hours of battle.

It was only when she squatted down to do this work that she realized just how exhausted she really was from the night of running around and fighting in the dark. Unfortunately, now was not the time for her to waver or relax. Resting here could result in being caught by those of the Dark Territory who she did not manage to strike down, and that wasn't exactly a future she was fond of. Besides, the more time she spent loafing around here in the woods, the more likely it was that her enemies would be able to encircle the entirety of the forest. If that situation came to be, she had no doubt that she could fight her way out and escape, but it would only lead to having all the Dark Territory's troops on her tail.

To be honest, Alice was not even sure of the status of the situation that she left behind to slip away into the forest – though she wanted to believe in the strength of Bercouli, Kirito, and the other Integrity Knights as well as the soldiers of the Human Army, there was a legitimate chance that by the time Alice returned, she would no longer have any allies. Of course, she did not want to think in such a pessimistic way, but Alice knew that she would need to prepare herself for the worst possibility, no matter how much she believed that it would not come to pass. She could only pray that her gamble of trying to pull the enemy away rather than fighting alongside the rest of her comrades had turned the tides in her allies' favour.

Alice crept around the forest quietly, being careful not to let her armour make any noise as she moved. Gently moving around on the tips of her toes, she made her way back towards the northern edge of the forest. In her mind, it made more sense for the Dark Territory to assume that she would continue her journey further south, so Alice figured that she would have a better chance of shaking off her pursuers if she travelled in the opposite direction. At this point, it would be better for Alice to act as bloodlessly as she could, avoiding killing any of the Dark Territory who were attempting to track her down. Even if she was capable of slaying every single one of the enemies that she encountered without a single sound, she would still have the issue of not knowing what to do with the armour and weapons of those she struck down. Of course, their bodies would return to the sky in a shower of golden dust, which may be concealed in this dense forest, but the metallic objects that they carried would not leave the ground with their bearers. Unless she decided to carry with her all the armour that was left behind, she would end up creating the most obvious trail behind her.

It was at times like this where Alice truly regretted her physical features. Blond hair that stood out among the green trees, golden armour which shined with even the slightest hint of sunlight, a deep blue cape which was unlike the colour of nature all around her; even before she took her first step, it was evident to Alice that she stuck out like a sore thumb. And so, she dedicated herself to becoming as stealthy as possible while she traversed north, back towards the remnants of the Great Eastern Gate. She had already completed her mission of serving as the ultimate distraction, and she proud to admit that it seemed as if she had done quite a fine job.

Nearby rustling and footsteps prompted Alice to be on her highest guard. There were enemies nearby; she needed to do everything that she could to avoid being detected by them. Sneakily hiding her body behind a nearby tree, she held her breath, not even daring to make the slightest movement as her enemies passed by her. Judging by their sounds and their steps, she guessed that this was likely a group of goblins. During the night, she had struck down whole swaths of goblins, orcs, and ogres, but she caught no sight of the Dark Knights or the Pugilists, the two groups who were the Dark Territory's strongest fighters. That likely meant that the main army had to contend with these extremely tough opponents.

Finally, the footsteps of the small group of goblins faded and mixed into the sounds of the trees. Quite fortunately for Alice, it was an unusually windy day. The whistling and rustling of the leaves provided some auditory cover for her as she travelled, so unless the enemy had exceptional hearing, she would probably be safe as long as she did not show herself or stumble and have her armour pieces clash against one another. At the very least, she figured that shedding her cape would aid her goal of remaining hidden, and so she quickly tore it off and threw it up into the trees, making it look like she had made that place her resting place. Alice truly did not want to abandon her suit of armour, given that it was not only an excellent piece of workmanship, but it was also something that she had carried with her ever since she had become an Integrity Knight. The only other two constants in her life were her Osmanthus Blade, and Bercouli, who served as a mentor to Alice.

Alice chuckled, her body shaking silently with laughter which was fully tainted with disbelief, as she thought about the many miraculous events which had led to her presence here in the middle of a forest, just south of the Great Eastern Gate. No one would have been able to convince her that there would come a day when she would be sneaking around through a forest, facing an army of Dark Territory forces many times greater than what she could handle all by herself. Even if it were Administrator who had been the bearer of this news, Alice would have most certainly scoffed in her face, because the absurdity of this situation wasn't something that anyone could believe. Couple that with the information she had received from Kirito regarding the truth of the creation of this world… every single thing she had known and believed in had been torn apart as easily as she could fell a tree.

No matter how insane the sequence of events which had led up to her present situation, Alice knew that she could not get caught up in the sheer improbability of the position she was in. This _was_ the present she was facing, and she would have no choice but to do her best to get out of it. Getting back on her feet, Alice continued to move forward bit-by-bit. Any time she heard or saw any sight of her enemies, she immediately looked for the thickest tree that she could hide behind, before attempting to fully conceal herself behind that natural barrier. It looked as if the Dark Territory was still confident that she was somewhere in the forest, given how erratically their troops were moving through the heavy brush. Alice knew that she would need to quickly escape before one group's random actions were able to catch her movements, destroying all the careful effort she had taken to lose her enemies.

Hours passed. If she had to be honest with herself, Alice found it difficult to track the time while she was busy escaping and hiding. The half-hidden light of Solus was the only thing that she could rely on, but all she could gather was that it was already past noon. It looked as if she still had a few hours before nightfall, so Alice would need to ensure that she escaped before she needed to use a torch to find her way around. As she looked straight ahead, she still saw no sign of the trees thinning out, hinting at the fact that she still wasn't even close to the edge of the forest. Alice wordlessly encouraged herself to keep going forward, continuing to travel north until she finally reached the place from which she entered the forest. Only then could she fully regain her bearings and prepare to rejoin the defence of the gate. Until that happened, she had no choice but to keep her legs moving, and keep her presence hidden to the best of her abilities.

* * *

The red light of the setting sun was finally permeating from the northern edge of the forest. At last, Alice had finally reached the edge, and she was finally able to make her escape. She firmly believed that she had not alerted any of her enemies of the fact that she was heading north, so hopefully the armies of the Dark Territory would still be searching for her in a place where she no longer was. The longer they fell for this simple ploy, the better. Truthfully, Alice wasn't sure where to go. She had no idea whether her allies were still being surrounded by the Dark Territory, or if they had managed to break the encirclement and counterattack, or if they had already perished. Based on the original plan, by now, everyone should have already retreated into the heart of the Eastabarieth Empire, fleeing in the direction of Centoria. She would need to see for herself what the result of the battle was.

Shielding her eyes with her gloved right hand as she exited the forest, Alice peered into the distance, trying to determine what fate befell her friends in the Human Army. But all she could see was a vast expanse of wasteland, where there was nothing and no one. No signs of life, neither human, demi-human, animal, or plant. Only rock and dust remained, blowing ceaselessly in the wind, floating through the skies with no end and no beginning in sight. Even the rocks wavered in the presence of the breeze, with nothing standing in the way to defend against nature's fury. Straining her eyes towards the ground, Alice noticed that there were things other than rocks being lifted into the sky – what looked like planks of wood, and some discarded weapons. Alice immediately knew that these were the leftovers of the battle which had occurred here while she was absent. Feeling another pang of guilt knowing that she was not able to be with her allies in this time of great need, she trudged ahead to see if she could piece together the chronology of the battle.

The wooden planks which were rolling on the ground as a result of the wind looked to be from the supports of the tents which built up the Human Empire's camp. With nothing left to cover them up, they were uprooted and thrown around to no end. At this point, Alice could strike one possibility off the list – no matter from which angle she looked at the battlegrounds, it was nothing but a _former_ battleground, with the fighting long finished. And judging by the fact that the camp had been dismantled, it wouldn't be too far of a stretch to say that the Human Army had at least not come out as the losers of this battle. She doubted that the Dark Territory would even care to remove what was already built if they had been the victors. They would either trample through it, or simply leave it to be. The same could not be said if the Human Empire were the ones who were on the offensive now, but Alice doubted that after so many days of hard fighting, they still had the strength and energy to push forward and invade the Dark Territory's land. Besides, what would they gain from it? A land of desolation was all that lay to the east of the Great Eastern Gate, and gaining control of that region would not be worth the effort required. Alice knew that this was the main reason why the Dark Territory had always longed to invade the lands within the End Mountains, though now it seemed that their Emperor Vector also had other goals.

Besides, conquering the Dark Territory's lands was never part of Bercouli's plan to escape from the perilous situation. In the end, it left only the outcome of a successful escape, and Alice's observation of the dismantled camp supported that hypothesis. They likely had enough time to load everything up and send it off towards Centoria before the Dark Territory was able to break through the lines. The surprisingly low number of abandoned weapons and broken-down armour somewhat perplexed Alice as well. By no means were there very few of these, but it was much less than she had expected. It looked like neither side had suffered all too many casualties, though Alice was still disturbed knowing there might have been a few soldiers she could have saved had she been there.

As she pondered this, she gradually turned her body to face the west, towards the direction that she needed to travel. That was when her eyes were fully assaulted by a mysterious _thing_ plastered across her entire vision. To describe it in the simplest words that she could, it was a mass of white marble that extended forever in all directions. As to how it originated, and how it came to rest in that location, Alice genuinely had no idea. Any Sacred Art that could possibly create such an incredible structure must have taken ages to activate, and this art still would not have been able to build it in an instant. It would take many, many years as the marble spread from the epicenter to finally fill up the entire sky. A mere seven days ago when the battle had just started, there was no evidence of the existence of this wall.

Thus, Alice was led to believe in the actions of a divine being. One of the Gods, perhaps Stacia, the Goddess of Creation, must have come down to this world in order to put a stop to Emperor Vector's evil machinations. However, Alice was aware of how these Gods were nothing but a farce created along with this world in order to deceive its residents. In essence, it likely meant that someone from Kirito's world had transported themselves into this world, under the guise that they had all the authority of the Gods of the Underworld. Momentary relief washed over her heart, knowing that there were those on the outside who were at least supportive of the continuation of the Human Empire. However, immediately after that, rage coursed through her veins as she thought about how this invasion of the Dark Territory could have been stopped by those who controlled every single aspect of the world.

Thoughts raced through her head as she began to think of other possibilities. If there was someone from the outside who had infiltrated and joined the ranks of the Human Empire to help support them in the fight, then wasn't there the possibility that another person from the Real World could have done the same thing in joining the Dark Territory? If Stacia, the Goddess of Creation, was in fact controlled by someone else, then maybe… Alice shuddered at the thought, but she forced herself to face the potential truth. Maybe it was Vector who was also controlled by someone from Kirito's world, the world which she knew nearly nothing about. The most powerful beings in this world, aptly controlled by those who were, quite frankly, unaffected by whatever fate befell them here – it was conceivable that their true identities could only be those who were free from the shackles of life in this one.

Whatever the case may be, the undeniable fact was that there was now at least one being, person or god or _something_ , who possessed power beyond any limits that Alice could even dream about. And despite knowing that they were essentially human beings born of another world, she couldn't help but shudder at the ridiculous amounts of power they managed to hold in the palms of their hands. If they so wished, they could instantly end Alice's life. Even the Pontifex Administrator did not strike fear into Alice like the thought of this unknown _someone_. At the very least, Administrator could still be considered somewhat "human", even if she had already thrown away that identity: all her incredible feats and shows of power were rooted, albeit by a single strand, in reality. The creation of this wall in such a short amount of time without any noticeable preparation was simply _impossible_ , at least to Alice's knowledge; Alice ravaged every single corner of her brain to come up with some explanation as to how this could have been done, but everything she could fathom led her to believe that it should have been absolutely impossible.

To describe it in the best way that she could, it looked like someone had literally overwritten existence. Within a certain portion of this world, anything, whether it would be air, the ground, the clouds, or perhaps even living things – they were all transformed into white marble. It followed no rules, no process from the Sacred Arts; it had to be something above that. Because if the laws that supposedly governed this world were followed, there may not even be enough Sacred Power in all of existence that could allow such a structure to be constructed. Immediately, the thought of Incarnation, a technique taught only to the Integrity Knights, came to mind. But would anyone's willpower be so overwhelming that they would be able to rewrite the fabric of existence itself? It made more sense to describe it instead as a power that was simply from beyond this world.

Regardless, there was no point for her to stand and stare at this mass of marble for all of eternity; Alice tried to piece together the events of the previous day based on what she could see. This wall stood a bit further west from where the Human Empire's camp had been stationed, so she could stand to accurately guess that the wall had appeared during the Human Army's retreat westward. It was likely that the encirclement had been broken, but still, they couldn't get away from the pursuit of the Dark Territory. But because the wall had materialized out of thin air, the two armies were separated, and it created an opportunity for the Human Empire's forces to retreat towards Centoria.

"That makes sense… right? So now that means the Dark Territory is very likely running through the Eastabarieth Empire, trying to catch up to everyone in the Human Empire who managed to slip away."

Alice muttered to herself as she tried to rationalize her thoughts, yet she still found it somewhat difficult to believe the words that came out of her mouth. If there truly was someone with the ability to create this wall out of nothing, then the tides should have been instantly turned. It wouldn't have been a wise choice to go on a full offensive, but at least Bercouli could have ordered all the troops to regain the stronghold that they held at the Great Eastern Gate. The fact that Alice now stood amongst what was left of the camp indicated that this was not the choice that was made. So, the choice for her was obvious. Taking one last look around her to see if there were any resources she could gather before making the journey off to the west, she began to head in that direction.

She knew not where her dragon Amayori was. Every single one of the Integrity Knights' dragons were tasked with keeping the Dark Knights at bay, the strongest fighters at the Dark Territory's disposal. It was either that, or they were busy making sure that the retreating Human Army did not get overwhelmed by the pursuit of the Dark Territory's troops. But, with the wall now appearing out of thin air and forming a gap between the two sides, the dragons would likely either be trailing the troops or returning to Centoria as quickly as possible. Regardless, it looked like she would not be able to expect any support from her friends in the sky. She was on her own until she returned to Centoria, but she expected minimal resistance until she got closer to the city. And so, her only option was to head west to hopefully reunite with everyone she cared about, and to meet this mysterious helper who likely came from the other side – Kirito's world. Maybe this being would even be acquainted with Kirito himself, and travelled to this world in order to help him out.

* * *

11/17/380

* * *

It was times like the one she was currently experiencing when Alice truly regretted being on foot. It wasn't that she couldn't physically walk; she was an Integrity Knight, and thus at the peak of physical fitness. It also wasn't like she was just feeling lazy and wanted to take a rest. There was no other reason than the fact that it took an insanely long time to travel on foot from the edge of the Human Empire to its capital Centoria. It had already been two days of constant walking for Alice, and she honestly had no idea what the remaining distance was between herself and Centoria. It was originally her goal to travel through the night, but her mission in the forest had robbed her of more energy than she had initially predicted. Begrudgingly listening to the pleas of her body, Alice had taken ample time to rest instead of continuing her journey throughout the night.

The disgusting terrain of the Eastabarieth Empire was truly the greatest hindrance to walking on foot. Wet and muddy, Alice's full-metal armour served no purpose but to cut through the mud and cause her to sink much easier than she would have liked. It was utterly repulsive, having to pull her feet out every single step. The only saving grace was that she was able to see where someone, whether Human Empire or Dark Territory, had travelled, since their footprints were saved into the shape of the mud. There must have been many who travelled along this route, as the ground was completely ruined to the point where she was unable to tell what the topography had looked like before this mass exodus had occurred. Along the way, all that she was able to spot were what looked like abandoned wagons sunken in trenches. No matter who it belonged to and who had emptied it out, there was nothing of value that Alice could extract from them.

Unlike the original battlefield at the Great Eastern Gate, Alice couldn't find any sets of armour left on the ground without their owners; clearly, not much fighting had occurred when one army was pursuing the other. Unfortunately, even after travelling so far, she still could not catch a single glimpse of either her allies or her enemies. All she had ended up seeing along the way were villages which had been ransacked from head to toe; houses with doors torn down and walls broken apart, it was clear that the Dark Territory had come through this way and robbed any life from the villages themselves. But Alice could do nothing but pray that the Human Empire had gotten here first and evacuated its citizens, as according to the original plan.

Alice finally arrived at a landmark that she was able to recognize on the map: the Corough river. Though it had been a long while since she had looked at a map of the land here in the Eastabarieth Empire, there were a few iconic landmarks which had stuck with her. First, and obviously, was the Great Eastern Gate. Next, the Corough river, which acted as the main throughway here in the east and allowed goods to be transported throughout the land. And finally, was the waterfall of the Corough river which ran through the "central" town of Alario. Equally fortunate and yet unfortunate, she was now fully aware of how much longer her journey to Centoria would be.

However, as she approached the town, something struck her as odd. Alice quickly noticed that the banks of the river were much lower than they normally were, running deep in the channel rather than being nearly level with the ground around it. There was also something missing – the sound of the waterfall. She could hear no crashing of water, almost as if the waterfall itself had ceased to exist. Something, some phenomenon, must have completely disturbed the natural flow of the river, making it so that the river's flow had been redirected, with much of it flowing elsewhere.

And when she finally neared the gates of Alario, the pieces of the puzzle finally all fell into place. She could see some strange thing, wedged firmly in the upstream portion of the waterfall, effectively drying the entire waterfall so that it was nothing more than a sheer cliff face. Instead, the whole town was being bombarded by a constant flow of water. It was like the streets themselves had all become small rivers themselves. Some of the river's water managed to make its way back to the river basin, but at least half was flowing out of the village, away from the river, being absorbed by the already wet ground. At this point, the ground was probably less solid than liquid. Anything short of a boat probably wouldn't be able to make its way through.

Unlike the previous villages Alice had walked through, Alario did not look like it had been ransacked to the same degree, probably because the streets were essentially inaccessible from all the flooding. Still, Alice couldn't understand what series of events could have led to the barricade which had redirected all the water into the town. It wouldn't make any sense for the fleeing villagers to do this; it was also extremely unlikely for them to have the power to do this too. Shielding her eyes from the sun to see what it was that was strewn across the riverbed, Alice was still unable to make it out. She would need to climb up to the higher elevation to get a better glimpse of it.

As the surrounding areas were completely waterlogged and would be next to impossible for her to walk through, Alice decided that the best course of action would be to climb up the rocky wall face which was the structure of the waterfall itself. There weren't many handholds, as the whole wall was rather smooth, but it wasn't an impossible task by any means. At least she had some things to grab onto and could easily make progress up the wall instead of hanging on for dear life.

 _It's just like that time… when we were on the edge of the Central Cathedral back in Centoria. It almost feels like an eternity ago, that first time I had encountered Kirito here. If he hadn't caught and held onto me, I would have already lost my life._

Alice couldn't help but reminisce about the very first moment she could remember her life being saved by someone else, where her life was completely in another's hands. It had only been only about half a year ago, yet it had already melded into the backdrops of her memory, even though it wasn't an experience she could forget that easily. Every single time she thought about Kirito, she could feel a myriad of emotions barraging her heart and mind. He was the person who had saved her from certain death after the combination of their attacks had torn a hole through the side of the presumably unbreakable Central Cathedral. He was the person who had helped her regain herself from the brainwashing of Administrator. He was the person who had fought Administrator, an essential god in this world, to a standstill, even if he was unable to truly defeat her in the exact sense of the word. And he was the one who had revealed the secrets of this world to herself and Bercouli, divulging in truths that Alice would have never fathomed with her own mind.

Ultimately, he was the one who was arguably the strongest swordsman she had ever met. Sure, one could make an argument about how the statistics showed that in the mock battles between himself and Bercouli, his opponent had a clear advantage in win-loss ratio. However, Alice had seen them spar in the past, and Alice had seen Kirito's true strength in the battle against Administrator. She was quite confident, certain even, that Kirito wasn't truly using his full strength when he sparred against Bercouli. However, she could easily tell that Bercouli was still being pushed back, being forced to release all his skills, strategies, and strength, stopping just short of releasing his power of Incarnation. Which, of course, she was sure that Kirito was fully capable of performing as well. It was the strong, those with incredible powers of imagination, who were able to bolster their fighting prowess and break past their normal limits.

One night, when Kirito was elsewhere eating dinner with the soldiers that he trained rather than Bercouli and Alice, the two of them had had a discussion regarding the mysterious individual with whom they had become so well acquainted. Even though they now knew where he was from, it was still difficult for them to wrap their heads around this other world that Kirito came from. Neither of them doubted the credibility of his words; it was simply a foreign and nearly impossible concept to them. But Bercouli had mentioned how it felt like Kirito had so much experience fighting with his life on the line. It didn't make much sense to Alice – Kirito had mentioned that his world had grown rather peaceful in the last fifty years or so of its history, so how was it possible that someone who lived in that era would have the misfortune of having to constantly fight for their lives? It wasn't a question that neither she nor Bercouli felt comfortable asking about, but Alice trusted Bercouli's analysis of the situation. The more she thought about it, the more the evidence supported that claim. The very fact that he, along with his friend, Eugeo, were able to climb up to the 80th floor of the Central Cathedral all while besting the various Integrity Knights who were sent to stop them was a spectacular feat. And though Bercouli had praised the swordsmanship of Eugeo, Alice could reckon that without the guidance his partner Kirito, Eugeo would have never managed to achieve so much in such a short period of time.

It was like Eugeo had the natural talent to go very far, but Kirito had all the base knowledge and information required to build a strong structure. And Kirito had imparted that expertise to Eugeo, allowing him to grow at blazing fast speeds. Of course, that wasn't to discount Kirito's skill with the sword, as the simple observation was that he was leagues ahead of any other soldier, and even above the Integrity Knights in terms of skill. Alice shuddered to think how strong Eugeo would have been as well, had he not perished. Alice had only barely glimpsed his true ability during the confrontation against Administrator, but he had held his own against Bercouli, and had even been able to encase him in ice, effectively defeating him in battle. If Eugeo were here fighting with the rest of the Human Empire, it might have been possible for them to hold the Great Eastern Gate without having to forsake the entirety of the Eastabarieth Empire and retreat to Centoria.

By the time her mind had finally cleared itself from these thoughts, Alice had finally clambered up to the top of the waterfall. Standing at the top with a clear vantage point to flooded buildings and streets down below, she was finally able to see what sort of destruction had befallen the village. She was also able to see the mysterious object wedged in the waterfall. Quite frankly, it looked less like a solid object and more like an amalgamation of something which had hardened to block the river from its surface all the way to its depths.

Looking down on the half of the town situated next to the lower side of the waterfall, she could make out many indicators of a battle. Helmets, chest plates, swords, and spears among other things littered the streets, some still trapped on the roofs of buildings, while others were caught on the structural supports of the buildings. She hadn't paid much attention to it as she followed the Corough River upstream towards Alario, but now she could remember spotting some of these things along the riverbanks as well.

It didn't seem like there was much to look at other than pieces of metal strewn about the streets. Anyone who had fought and perished here would no longer be present in this world, having been whisked away to whatever the afterlife was. Maybe there was none. Maybe they just simply disappeared into thin air when their lives expired. At least, the memories of their existence were not taken away from those who were still living, and they lived on knowing that someone who had once associated with them would no longer stand alongside them. Disappointed, though she had anticipated this exact outcome, Alice turned away to begin heading further westward, towards Centoria. But suddenly, a string of purple cloth fluttering in the waters filling the town below brought her attention back to what stood underneath her.

Where there were clothes, there were living beings. Alice, unfortunately, had witnessed many beings, both human and inhuman, lose their lives in this war. Because of this, however, she with absolute confidence that when something with life finally expired, everything that was normally on their bodies would disappear along with them. That meant their shirts, pants, and whatever footwear they were wearing as well. Things they did not normally carry with them, like armour and weapons, were untouched in this world, the only difference now being that their owners had gone and left them behind. So therefore, a bit of purple cloth would indicate someone, or something, who or which was alive. As Alice hurriedly descended back down the path she had originally clambered up, she silently hoped that this survivor would be a soldier from the Human Empire, rather than the Dark Territory. Regardless, she would be able to get the story of what had happened out of this organism.

And when she finally reached the place where the cloth was fluttering from, Alice sighed in relief upon seeing the person's face. Yes, _person_. She could instantly tell, just by looking at her attire, that she was not one of the humans who lived beyond the borders of the Human Empire. And on top of that, Alice recognized her face. She was one of the soldiers who had come to defend the Great Eastern Gate as part of the Imperial Guard. Though the two had never interacted before, Alice always kept her eyes on the lookout for standout swordsmen and swordswomen. This woman, who looked to be currently unconscious, was one of those who would be considered quite extraordinary when compared to the other soldiers, regardless of seniority. Alice could easily see that she was one of the special ones, along with a few others who were likely also graduates of the Swordcraft Academies.

The fact that her body had not broken down into golden dust to be carried off by the wind indicated that she still had Life within her. She had fought a difficult battle here and had managed to keep her life among all the chaos. If there was anyone who would be able to tell Alice what she herself had missed, this person would likely be one of the best candidates. Carefully, Alice moved the rubble which was keeping her locked in place; she should really be thanking the rubble for allowing this woman to be stuck in the city, or else she might have been washed away and drowned. Alice also quickly realized that it may not be the best idea for her to be stuck here in the bottom half of the village, in the case that the other troops from the Dark Territory arrived. Like this woman here had been, she would be stranded without many options of escape. Besides, she now had someone else to keep safe, which would be extremely difficult in this terrain that made movement nearly impossible. It would be best to head back up the waterfall, and rest for a while in the dry part of the town.

It took a lot more effort to lug another person up the rocks on the side of the waterfall, even though Alice already knew the path well and had experience climbing up herself. After a bit of hard work, she was finally able to do that, setting down the woman strapped onto her own shoulders. Immediately afterwards, Alice worked to apply some healing magic to replenish the life of the woman who was still lying on the ground unconscious. Alice guessed that it would be at least a little while before this woman was able to open her eyes again, so Alice took the time to explore the upper half of the village and check if there was anything that she had missed which could potentially be useful to her.

Even after checking through every single house, and roaming the streets, the sun's position hadn't changed much. Alario truly was a small place, a town where every single person undoubtedly knew all their neighbours. The number of streets could be counted on one hand, and it took Alice no more than an hour before she had explored all corners. Then returning to where she had laid the woman down to rest, Alice was met by a pleasant surprise. The woman, no longer lying down on her back as Alice had so left her, was instead now sitting upright, alert and aware of her surroundings. As soon as her eyes caught sight of Alice who was returning to her, she quickly rose to her feet and saluted.

"Esteemed Integrity Knight, I sincerely thank you for saving my life. Had you not intervened and pulled me out from the waters below, my life would have been over. You have my greatest thanks."

Even now, it was odd for Alice to have someone initiate a conversation with her. Most were simply content to answer whatever the Integrity Knights asked, without bothering to ask anything of their own. As such, Alice felt more like an investigator than anything, seeing as she would only get a response out of people if she took the time to ask a question. However, this woman was clearly different. She even exuded an interesting aura. One not of arrogance, but of confidence, even while facing someone who she likely knew was far stronger than she herself was. No, confidence wasn't exactly the right word for Alice to describe this person in front of her… perhaps _madly curious_ was a better term for it. Alice wasn't quite certain how exactly to pin her finger on what made her feel this way about the woman standing in front of her, but that was something she was willing to put aside for now in lieu of more important topics.

"Do not worry about that. I am glad to see that someone else from the Human Empire has survived, so I can find out what has happened. How has the retreat towards Centoria been progressing?"

"What remained of the army had been split off into many small portions, each travelling in a different direction, so I am unable to brief you on the status of their progress. However, as you can see, the group I was travelling with, which was led by Integrity Knight Warrick, was attacked by the Dark Territory. We used the town of Alario as a defensive stronghold, hoping to halt or at least slow down their offence. Integrity Knight Warrick decided on the plan of damming the river and letting it flood the city, while some of us would have baited the Dark Territory's forces into entering the city gates. As I had fallen unconscious after the water crashed down into the city, I do not know how well the plan worked out."

Finally, Alice was able to gain a bit of information which was not purely speculative, but instead came from factual experience. It wasn't too far off from her expectations anyhow, but it was still nice having some sort of confirmation. Regrettably, it wasn't the whole story, as this person had not been able to witness whether the plan to ruin this group of the Dark Territory's troops had succeeded. And as she thought this, Alice realized she had no idea who she was speaking to.

"I understand. Thank you for your service and hard work. Forgive my rudeness, but it does not seem like I know your name. I am Integrity Knight Alice Synthesis Thirty."

"My name is Sortiliena Serlut, member of the Norlangarth Imperial Guard and recent graduate of the Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy."

"Norlangarth Swordcraft Academy… could you possibly be acquainted with a young man named Kirito?"

A light shock appeared on Sortiliena's face, seemingly reacting to the name that Alice had spoken. Quickly, she nodded her head before responding.

"Yes, in fact I do. He was actually my underclassman valet back when I was a student at the Academy. If I may ask, Knight Alice, how are you familiar with him?"

Alice knew that she could not tell the truth of how she had gotten to know Kirito; there was a very good chance that Sortiliena did not even know of the crime that Kirito had committed which had brought him to the jail of the Central Cathedral given that she had graduated before his incident had occurred. That didn't even consider the fact that he had risen in rebellion of the Axiom Church, before defeating anyone who had stood in his way, fighting against the Pontifex, then vanquishing her. Of course, if Alice divulged in those details, it would also make known her own betrayal against the organization that effectively ruled the entire Human Empire.

"That is… a rather long story. I do suppose that you could wait until a more appropriate time to hear the whole account. Perhaps you could even hear it from his own mouth. We do have more pressing issues to consider now, so let us instead focus on those."

Sortiliena looked the slightest bit dissatisfied, but that expression disappeared nearly instantly from her face, being replaced by an expression filled with seriousness.

"Absolutely. We'll leave that for later, but I do hope to hear about it one day. What shall our course of action be?"

Alice walked up to a nearby tree and snapped off a twig from the lowest branch. Then, taking that stick, she traced out a map of the Human Empire in the dirt, roughly charting out where some of the major landmarks were. She highlighted the Great Eastern Gate, the Corough River, the town of Alario, and of course, Centoria. After finishing, she marked a cross through Alario, before turning her face to Sortiliena.

"If what you say is true, then at least a portion of the Dark Territory's army has passed through this town. It would likely indicate that they are heading towards the capital city of Centoria, ready to invade at a moment's notice. Do you recall which group it was that you were fighting against?"

"I was only able to spot orcs as part of the assault group, but there may have been others scattered throughout. However, I didn't see any Dark Knights, or Pugilists, and no Dark Arts users either. The wall must have split up their forces as well, so I do not imagine that they are in the same structured units that came to assault the Great Eastern Gate."

"I see. Well, let's assume that there are many more of these smaller Dark Territory groups. It won't be possible for us to stop them all; there are simply too few of us here to do that. We could stop this specific group which attacked Alario, but then the other ones would reach their destination regardless. I doubt there are many others, if any, who are in this situation where they can find themselves behind their enemies."

Alice stopped to take a quick breath, racking her brain to think about the best course of action to take. As she already pointed out, it simply wouldn't do them much good in trying to slow down this one group of Dark Territory's forces since all the other ones wouldn't come across this issue. In that case… maybe it was best for them to make haste to Centoria, arriving to help bolster the defensive forces. That was probably the wisest response to their current predicament.

As she was about to enunciate her ideas to Sortiliena, Alice began to feel a strange rumbling underneath her feet. It was different than the rhythmic drumming that the waterfall created; it was a far more aggressive sounding beat. Quickly, she peered off into the eastern distance, as her eyes scanned the horizon trying to search for the source of the sound. And her eyes easily found out what it was that was producing this vibration in the ground. A massive vehicle, barreling its way westward despite the marshy conditions. Alice would have thought that such a thing would easily sink into the wet soil, but it looked to be completely ignoring the fact that it should not have been able to traverse these conditions. Or perhaps it was simply so large that it had sunken all the way through the mud to the rocky ground beneath.

Whatever this thing was, it was monstrous. Decked out like a massive ship, only to be driving through the difficult terrain like a carriage that was powered by a beast of a monster. Its size couldn't be compared to anything that Alice had seen before; the only things that Alice had observed which could match the sheer size of this thing were those which fundamentally were unable to move. Every fibre of her body told her to reject the information that her eyes were giving her. It was almost like she wanted to believe that it was some sort of illusory magic, but the fact that her eyes were able to see it along with her body feeling its effects probably indicated that this was nothing but the truth, and it was quickly approaching.

"What… is that?"

Alice could hear the curiosity sinking out of Sortiliena's voice as she said that. Though she asked the question, Alice could tell that Sortiliena did not really want to find out what that _thing_ was. Like Alice herself, Sortiliena was silently hoping that the massive ship-like structure was nothing more than a hoax. It was something outside the bounds of this world, something that simply should not exist based on the rules and laws which governed it. If Alice had to describe this feeling building up in her, it was akin to when she had first laid eyes on the seemingly infinite marble wall which Alice could still see on this clear day in the setting sun. To put it simply, it was something which must have been the work of the Gods; the work of those who came from beyond this world.

Based on her previous speculations, Alice had already gathered that there was a good chance the wall had been built by a human from Kirito's world, who had come to this world as one of the Underworld's Gods; she was likely known here as Stacia, the Goddess of Creation. Then, who would be commanding this freakish ship? Alice doubted that it would be Solus, the Goddess of Light, or Terraria, the Goddess of Land. Based on its overall dark colour, there was a possibility that it could be Lunaria, the Goddess of the Moon, but she was always known in legend to be much of a pacifist, who would have no business involving herself in a war. Of course, if she was being controlled by someone else, it could be possible that this predictable demeanor would be completely thrown out the window, so the possibility that Lunaria had joined the Dark Territory's cause couldn't be completely weeded out. However, the very likely culprit would be Vector, the God of Darkness.

From a superficial standpoint, the colour of the ship already matched his description. She had also heard the stories of how Vector had always been the one to oppose the other three main Goddesses, choosing to favour the residents of the Dark Territory rather than the Human Empire. However, it was something which Alice had experienced herself which led her to believe that this ship was the work of the Dark God Vector. It was because of those words which were spoken by those two goblins, mentioning how Vector wanted to have the Radiant Medium brought back to him. At that time, Alice had determined that it was very likely that _she_ herself was this Radiant Medium that was so sought after by Vector, and had decided to distract the enemy by moving to the forest.

Alice doubted Vector's omniscience and omnipotence, even if he was one of the Gods. If he truly could do anything, then the Human Empire's efforts to hold the Great Eastern Gate should not have been as successful as it were. The Dark Territory, led by Vector himself, should have been able to crush the defensive lines of the Human Army without breaking a sweat. There was a good chance that Vector did not know that Alice, the Radiant Medium he was so desperately looking for, had fled into the forest south of the battlefield. So, when he laid eyes on the battlefield and found out that his foes had fled back to another stronghold, it was natural to assume that the Radiant Medium would have followed suit. In the end, it looked like Vector's assumptions would be accurate. Besides, Alice figured that Vector's ultimate goal was the conquest of the Human Empire, with the capture of the Radiant Medium being more like a side quest than anything else.

"I would suspect… that this ship-like thing belongs to the Dark God Vector. He is the one leading the Dark Territory's forces in their attempt to conquer this land from us."

As Alice finished speaking and turned to Sortiliena, she saw the other woman stiffening at hearing the name of the Dark God. It looked like regardless of who it was, whether the regular soldiers of the Human Army, or the Integrity Knights who oversaw managing and leading it, they all had that same adverse reaction to hearing this name.

"It looks like the Gods have given us a great opportunity to turn the tides of this battle. We are so very close to the command center of the Dark Territory. If we can sneak into the ship, there is a chance that we could do something that could help out the rest of our comrades."

Sortiliena looked very apprehensive, pensive about the words that Alice had just uttered.

"Pardon my skepticism, but is it really possible to do this? There are only the two of us, and though you are an Integrity Knight, I am just a regular soldier of the Human Army. How could it be possible for us to infiltrate their headquarters and do anything? We'd be instantly swarmed by guards."

Alice looked over to Sortiliena, who was beginning to lose her courageous outlook.

"Sortiliena Serlut. First of all, I believe that is a massive understatement of your abilities. I have seen you in combat training. You are well above the average soldier, your strength equivalent to many others combined. There are few others who I would rather have at my side, and I feel extremely fortunate that I was able to find someone as capable as you to embark on this dangerous mission with me. I believe that there is no conceivable way that the Dark Territory would expect someone to be brazen enough to charge into their most fortified place. And because we literally number two, it would be difficult for them to track us down if we are careful with our movements."

Alice paused for a moment, the wind fluttering through her hair. Slowly taking a breath, she continued.

"Besides, we don't have much of a choice, do we? The ship will surely catch us before we can make it back to Centoria, all because of this disgusting muddy land. If we are caught out in the middle of nowhere, we either die or become prisoners. Why not tempt fate and enter the ship not as a captive, but as someone who is free to do whatever she wishes?"

Alice quirked her brow at Sortiliena, looking at her expectantly. After a moment of silence, Sortiliena raised her face with a small smile on her face.

"Yes, that's right. It would be better to enter that mobile fortress without our hands and feet bound together. Let us work together to achieve that goal then, Integrity Knight Alice."

* * *

 **A/N**

So, it's been an incredibly long time since the last chapter, and really all I have is a "long" list of "reasons" (excuses) for that.

\- Built my PC (it's so nice not having to wait literally 20 seconds for a Word document to load)  
\- As usual, watched the World Junior Hockey Championship (Go Canada!)  
\- Nearly broke my PC a couple times trying to update BIOS and changing boot settings after installing everything and not having backups  
\- Got back into reading a bunch of light novel series which I had been putting off for the last year or so

I guess another reason was the fact that I kept on changing the way that this chapter would play out. And because of what's on the page now, I need to re-plan the next few chapters again. I swear the next chapter won't take this long to come out (I believe it's been nearly 8 weeks between this one and the last?).

My friend who helps me edit was also mad that I took so long so it looks like I'm letting everyone down (yikes).

Until next time :)


	17. Chapter 16 - Walls

_**Chapter 16 – Walls**_

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11/17/380

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The walls of Centoria had already been into her view for a while now, but Asuna was finally able to see some of the more intricate details of the massive structure. It was almost like she was stepping into a history class, travelling back to a land of swords and castles. Though Aincrad was the floating castle, it was all so different from the historical eras of human history. The Underworld, however, save for magic and other humanoid creatures, almost perfectly resembled some sort culture from the Classical or Medieval eras. The highly decorated walls, which no doubt served both an aesthetic and a defensive purpose, now dominated her vision as she rapidly approached it.

It had now been, apparently, nearly four days since she had spawned into the Underworld. Unfortunately, it looked like she had been unconscious for much of her time here, so it only felt like her second day here. Asuna felt that it was quite refreshing to be in a different world like this. Since she rarely played anything outside of Alfheim Online and Gun Gale Online, it had been a rather long time since she had been able to experience a brand-new world. Even if Aincrad had now been brought back into ALO, and there were constant raids to get to the higher floors, the game still had not been cleared up to where SAO had originally ended. The game developers of ALO had taken their time to add new elements, as well as increasing the difficulty of the game now that there was no risk of true death, but exploring the same places could only be so fresh of an experience. Once they cleared the 75th floor again, she was certain a new rush of excitement would wash over her and many of the other SAO survivors who chose to once again dive into the floating castle which had once been their prison for two years.

Besides, the greatest thing about being here in the Underworld now was the fact that she was now reunited with Kirito. In the Real World, though they technically were together in the same place, he was still unconscious, his soul transported over to this world instead. But here, in the Underworld, he was alive and well, giving her hope that sooner rather than later, they would also be reunited in the world where both their real bodies currently lay unconscious. It had been an incredibly tough few days not knowing where Kirito was, and being completely unaware of his condition even before his disappearance. But it looked like Kirito had suffered far more than she had; in this Underworld, he had been forced to experience accelerated time, equating to two whole years where he had not seen her. Asuna could not begin to even imagine the thoughts and feelings Kirito had gone through, waking up in this world with no recollection as to how he arrived here, only knowing that he was missing those closest to him.

Asuna had taken up the job of briefing Kirito on the events that had led up to the very present, up until the moment when she dived into this world. She started with the attack in the Real World by Kanamoto Atsushi, better known to the two of them as Johnny Black, who had injected succinylcholine into Kirito's body which had caused his heart to stop. After that, he had been hurriedly transported to a hospital to receive care, but though they were able to revive his beating heart, they were unable to pull him from his comatose state. Then, he had mysteriously disappeared in the middle of the night, supposedly being transported to another hospital which had no records of him being checked in. But with the unexpected help of Koujiro Rinko, Asuna was able to sneak into Rath's headquarters, which happened to be Kirito's exact whereabouts.

The whole story telling process took a long while, but in the end, she was able to share with Kirito all the key points. Throughout the entire process, her mind had been quite frazzled, constantly jumping around to different points in time whenever she remembered something important. In the end, Kirito didn't say much; he just listened quietly the entire time, his expression mostly unchanging, except for the slight furrowing of his brow here and there. Asuna wasn't sure if this was because he didn't have anything to ask, or if he just didn't know what to ask. A lot had happened in the short time that he had been logged into the Underworld, even if it were nothing compared to the two years of accelerated time he had experienced here.

When Asuna finished storytelling, it was then Kirito's turn to talk about his journey, the one that would technically be completely fictional, but Asuna knew that Kirito saw it as nothing but factual, real experiences that he had gone through. By the time he finally recounted his entire story, which at this point seemed more like an entire novel, the sky had already darkened, and Asuna could vaguely see the piercing lights of the stars which had begun to populate the sky. Kirito's tale of adventure was full of surprises, twists, and turns. There were moments where the two of them were laughing about the incredulous things that were happening, but there were other times when she felt pain just like Kirito had experienced in those exact moments. Especially when she heard about his friend Eugeo… Asuna knew that it was worse knowing that Kirito had already experienced something very similar to this.

Putting herself in a very similar situation, she was forced to watch as Kirito had to experience what the two of them had thought was her death. Taking that fatal blow from Kayaba's sword in his stead, her hit points had plummeted past the red, instantly hitting zero and signifying the end of her time in the death game. At that very moment, as she was fading away, when she was looking into Kirito's eyes which were filled with shock, fear, grief… they had both thought that it would be the last moment when they saw each other. Miraculously, or perhaps by Kayaba's own grace, both of them had been allowed to live even after their avatars had died in the game. To this day, they were still not sure as to why they had been allowed to walk free of this prison, despite the fact that all others who had perished in the game before them had truly never woken up again.

But to have to once again experience the same episode of watching someone, who was near and dear to him, slowly succumbing to their fatal wounds – it was a type of grief she could only imagine, a feeling which she had no right declaring that she could understand. She could already hear Kirito's voice choking up when he started talking about that part of his journey, and all she could do was wrap her arms around his body, silently comforting him as the wagon upon which they sat slowly bumped across the rough terrain. Her only hope was that Kirito's hunch of being able to bring Eugeo back from his sword form was accurate, so that they could reunite, just as she and Kirito had finally done so on her hospital bed.

By the time they had both caught up with each other's stories, Centoria's walls were already looming over them. And now, they were able to see some of the other groups of people heading into the city. Some soldiers were trailing behind the former residents of the Eastabarieth Empire who had been removed from their homes to safeguard them from the threat of the Dark Territory, while others arrived alone. It looked like the wall that Asuna had created actually served its purpose, at least giving the Human Army enough time to separate themselves from the Dark Territory which had initially been right on its tail.

Even now, the preparations for a siege defensive were already underway. Fortifications were being hastily built using whatever materials were nearby, and many of the trees surrounding the walls had already been cleared out to be used for their lumber. Asuna wondered if these temporary buildings meant that there would be forces resisting the impending invasion from the ground level. Even though they were close enough to the walls that support from above would filter down to cover them, it still seemed like an odd choice. Especially if these barricades were finally broken, what would happen to these ground forces? Surely, the city gates wouldn't open up for them, since that would be equivalent to giving the Dark Territory a free pass to enter the city.

The other thing Asuna was concerned with were the flying forces of the Dark Territory: the Dark Knights and their dragons. According to Kirito's words, these were essentially the Integrity Knights' counterparts, the ones who were the most skilled of the Dark Territory's soldiers. With their own dragons capable of near endless flight, Asuna worried that the four walls, the Everlasting Walls, which separated the Human Empire into four quadrants, would not be able to stop them. If the Dark Territory's goal was to spread destruction across the entire Human Empire, then the Dark Knights could easily do that without having to contend with the Integrity Knights. By now, they might have already gone beyond the confines of the Eastabarieth Empire unbeknownst to the Human Empire's soldiers, killing tens of thousands of innocent civilians.

But Kirito had assured her of his confidence in a full frontal assault by the Dark Territory. When she asked him why he believed that, it had stemmed from the fact that the Dark Territory had not sent any troops to the three other entrances into the Human Empire. Based on the information he had gotten from the Integrity Knights, those of the Dark Territory were more concerned with proving their strength by overwhelming their enemies head-on. Their unexpected move of clambering over the mountains had been so effective because none of the Integrity knights had expected such a covert strategy, one that was so contrary to their supposed nature.

After discussing for a while, both Kirito and Asuna both agreed that because it had happened once already, and especially because it had worked so well, the Dark Territory may once again choose to use treachery to achieve their objectives, even if it seemed like a strategy unbefitting of their nature. It almost seemed like the Dark Territory were like puppets on strings, controlled by a master not of this world. As for the believability of that scenario, it wasn't all too farfetched. Considering that the Ocean Turtle had been attacked, and the fact that Asuna had logged in here as Stacia, it was entirely possible that someone else from the Real World had logged in using one of the other super-accounts.

Asuna decided to go along with Kirito, Fanatio, and Deusolbert to meet with the other Integrity Knights to figure out their next steps. However, doing so would mean that she would need to introduce herself not as Stacia the Goddess of Creation, but as Asuna, a human from the Real World. Though the two Integrity Knights that she and Kirito had been travelling with were not all too surprised at the fact that the being they revered as their Goddess of Creation was just in fact another human being, the same could not be said about any of the soldiers travelling with them. They feared approaching Asuna, and in the same vein, they also did not associate with Kirito. She hoped that one day she would be able to mingle with these other human beings in the Underworld, rather than being alienated and revered as their goddess which she was not.

Now that she would be personally meeting others, she began to mentally prepare herself. Making sure that she knew exactly what to say, taking care to reveal just the right amount of information without overwhelming the other Integrity Knights… Asuna knew it would be a tough rope to balance upon, but she would have to make the best out of her situation. Besides, she had Kirito with her to help sort things out, as well as four Integrity Knights who supposedly knew the truth behind the creation of their world. As she stepped through the city gates, she took a deep breath, firmly digging her heel into the ground to propel herself forward.

* * *

With everyone's help, the incredible sight of seeing Stacia became slightly more credible. It was mostly Kirito and Bercouli speaking, with a bit of input from both Fanatio and Deusolbert who acted more like witnesses rather than anything else. Naturally, there were those who were still in a state of disbelief and distress knowing that their gods were all fake, and that their world was essentially a complete fabrication. However, Asuna could feel the immense respect and trust that the Integrity Knights had for their leader, Bercouli. Even if they weren't exactly sure of what the truth was, they still chose to go along with the words that he had spoken, finally bringing a peaceful end to a rather chaotic introduction.

Integrity Knights completely encircled the meeting table on the 50th floor of the Central Cathedral. They had all briefly introduced themselves after finally being somewhat convinced that the "Stacia" standing in front of them was no more than a regular human being named Asuna who just happened to come from a different world. She could scarcely remember all their names by now, but she did notice that none of them were named Alice. The other person who Kirito had first entrusted with the world's secrets was nowhere to be found, and there was not a single person who had any idea where she had disappeared off to. But nearly everyone, and especially Kirito, believed that she was alive and well, fighting her own battle somewhere in the Eastabarieth Empire. Kirito was rather adamant in his confidence in her abilities, specifically when one of the Integrity Knights had said something about a worst-case scenario where she had either been captured or slain by the enemy. Raising his voice to refute his words, Asuna hadn't seen Kirito so agitated in a very long time. Just who was this Alice person to him…

Kirito had said many things about Alice when he recapped the last two years of his life here in the Underworld. The only person who was mentioned more times was Eugeo, the first person that Kirito had met. It looked like Eugeo had grown up in the same town as Alice, and the two used to be childhood friends. But then, Alice was forcefully taken away by an Integrity Knight, who was later revealed to be Deusolbert, when she was only 11 years old, all for breaking a simple law of the Taboo Index. Many years later, when Kirito and Eugeo had fallen to the same fate as her, the Integrity Knight who had taken them away was none other than Alice. After once again meeting her up on the 80th floor of the Central Cathedral, where the two boys had clashed against her, it seemed like Kirito's stories had stopped mentioning Eugeo as much, while Alice suddenly became a much bigger part of his life. From then on, all the way until Asuna logged into the Underworld, Alice was essentially a staple in Kirito's life. Numerous _thoughts_ filled Asuna's brain unconsciously, even though she knew that Kirito would never be that type of person. She would only really know for sure if and when they were able to meet up with this Integrity Knight Alice.

After counting which of the Integrity Knights had not managed to make their way to Centoria, the bulk of the meeting began. As Asuna already knew, the entire fate of the Human Empire boiled down to how well they would be able to defend Centoria. Once this final barrier fell, there would be no other opportunities to beat back the Dark Territory's invading force. Even when the front lines were all the way back at the remnants of the Great Eastern Gate, there were thoughts that even if this front was overrun, they would still have another chance to defend at the walls of Centoria. It was never the plan to have to fall back upon this last resort, but that was the way fate had played itself out.

Now, the Human Army knew that they had no choice but to put every last effort into the defence of Centoria's gates. They had already recalled all the Integrity Knights who were stationed at other corners of the empire, bringing them here to the front lines which would be Centoria's eastern walls. This would leave the other three entrances into the Human Empire completely defenceless, but it was probably safe to assume that their enemies would not be coming in from any other direction. None of the Integrity Knights who were previously on patrol had spotted any signs of life even deep into enemy territory, so it truly looked like all of the Dark Territory's troops had come through the ruins of the Great Eastern Gate.

Unlike their previous battlefield at the remnants of the Great Eastern Gate, this impending one did not have the same type of security. The Everlasting Walls, which served to split up the Human Empire into its four cardinal directions, did not reach into the skies, unlike the End Mountains or the wall that Asuna had created. Because of that, it absolutely could not be counted as an impenetrable structure. Well, as Asuna had heard from Kirito, the End Mountains couldn't be counted as impenetrable either, after being scaled by the ogres and the pugilists which had led to the Human Army's predicament in the first place; it would be more accurate to say that only by air were they impassable.

The Everlasting Walls would be a completely different scenario. Not only were they low enough that the Dark Knights and their dragons would not be bothered by their presence, ground troops could theoretically also make their way up there quite feasibly. However, unlike a mountain, there were no footholds or handholds to climb onto, making it essentially impossible unless a massive earthen ramp was built up. Even with all this evidence pointing against the possibility of an assault on these walls, the Integrity Knights were no longer confident enough to discount this potential situation, especially after what had played out at the Great Eastern Gate.

Centoria's walls were, on the other hand, much lower in height. Ladders, siege towers, and other similar equipment would be enough to enable the Dark Territory to easily reach the tops of the walls. As the situation stood, the battle would mainly be comprised of two distinct fields: the 2.5 km of Centoria's walls where the fighting would likely be the heaviest and densest, as well as the skies above and around Centoria, where the dragons and some of the Integrity Knights would be doing their best to hold off the Dark Knights. If either of these battlefronts were lost, then the whole war, whose sole purpose was to defend the Human Empire against the invasion of the Dark Territory, would be considered completely forfeit.

At the very least, unlike fighting at Great Eastern Gate, there was no chance of being blindly flanked by armies. Unless their enemies somehow came up with an ingenious way to scale the extremely tall Everlasting Walls, they could potentially be faced with having to deal an attack on multiple fronts, thus increasing the number of battlefields and decreasing the density of their troop deployments. Even if the Dark Territory were able to do this, it would all be in plain sight, not in any way unexpected. The best thing about holding at Centoria was the limited battlespace – with only 10 km of city wall surrounding the entire city, only 2.5 km would be accessible to be attacked by the ground troops of the Dark Territory. In this way, it was structured very similarly to holding the Great Eastern Gate, which was narrow in nature and would not allow the Dark Territory to easily use their overwhelming numerical advantage to the best of its abilities.

Another issue with the defence would be holding the city gates, the very thing that had allowed them all to enter the city in the first place. There was a heated debate about whether it would be better to have some troops stationed outside, which could be easily recalled into the city if they were ever overrun. Some knights claimed that this would allow them to go on the offensive and potentially break through their enemies' lines, but Asuna, Kirito, and the other knights all argued that there would never be a chance to recall these troops that were trapped outside without opening the gates wide enough thus allowing the Dark Territory's troops the chance to infiltrate and then massacre the citizens. The gate, when closed, would become a massive obstacle as it was extremely robust, but when it was opened, there was a chance that it could be propped open, removing the final barrier to access into the city.

But even more arguments arose when these points were raised, with both sides being unable to come to an agreement as to what the balance between proactiveness and conservativeness should be. Eventually, Bercouli was forced to intervene, making a final decision on behalf of the Integrity Knights who were completely split on their opinions for battle formations. Fortunately, at least in Asuna's opinion, he sided with the arguments of conservativeness, arguing that a small force on the ground, though it may be able to gain some momentum, would still largely be unable to do much, especially against the Dark Territory's much greater numbers. At the cost of losing soldiers, or even worse, allowing the enemy to gain entry into the Human Empire's final stronghold, he decided that it was best if all of the army was stationed either behind or on top of the walls. Of course, there was still the issue that the gate itself still needed to be protected. No matter what, there would need to be some soldiers stationed at the gate itself in the case that it was broken through.

Since there would be no more entering and leaving once the battle started, it would be critical to strengthen the fortifications directly around the gates so that it would not be a defensive liability. But just like their previous battle, the ones who would be of the greatest hindrance to the possibility of a successful defence were the Dark Arts users. Seeing as they could possibly conjure up a massive Sacred Art to blow the wall to smithereens, which would also likely take the lives of nearly all the soldiers and the Integrity Knights who were defending it, they needed to do everything in their power to prevent the Dark Arts users from being able to show their true strength. Fortunately, Alice's display of raw magical talent was displayed at the beginning of the war, where most of the Dark Arts users were wiped out before they had a chance to contribute to the war. It was impossible to use the same strategy of voiding the surrounding areas of all their Sacred Power – for one, Alice, who was the only person capable of implementing such a plan, was missing; for another, the abundance of life all around the area would make it impossible to drain all of the Sacred Power.

In light of that, Bercouli mentioned that it would be the Integrity Knights' the highest priority to find out where the Dark Arts users were in the formation of the Dark Territory's forces, and quickly eliminate them before they had a chance to destroy the wall. Even if they were a much smaller force than they used to be, as long as a few skilled ones had survived Alice's initial bombardment, they could become the ultimate spear to break through the walls. Once they were eliminated, the Human Empire could be confident that the ensuing battle would be one dependent on siege warfare tactics. No matter what sacrifices had to be taken to ensure that this part of the plan was executed to perfection, they would need to do their best all for the sake of eliminating this faction of the Dark Territory. At the very least, getting rid of all the more powerful spell casters would prove to be effective towards the goal of maintaining the integrity of the wall.

From Asuna's point of view, it looked to be a relatively simple plan, all predicated on the eradication of the Dark Arts users and the assumption that all their enemy's ground forces would have no alternative methods of breaking through the walls of Centoria. Now that the meeting was over and everyone was hurrying to make sure that this message was passed onto all members of the army, Asuna could only hope that their one goal and their one expectation would play out favourably into their hands. As she followed Kirito down the steps of the Central Cathedral out onto the streets at the center of the capital city, she was finally able to gather in the sights of this incredibly beautiful place, which was no longer functioning as a proper city.

With the massive influx of refugees fleeing from towns from all over the Eastabarieth Empire, shortly followed by the Integrity Knights who made this city their final base, all the life in Centoria had been hidden away. There were no longer any non-combatants in this eastern quadrant of the city, as everyone had been evacuated to the other three. At this point, the only signs of life were soldiers walking around looking for any stragglers, while tearing down some buildings to ensure that they would have enough space if they were ever forced to defend the city from the ground after the gates were broken down.

But Asuna knew that this was no time to admire the beauty of the city she was currently in; she could only wait until after the war was over, after they successfully defended against their enemy's invasion. She and all the other Integrity Knights had already climbed their way to the top of the city wall, awaiting their enemy's next move. It didn't take very long before she caught sight of something in the distance, a mass of ever-expanding dots heading in their direction. At first, the soldiers on the wall top had some hope; perhaps it was the last dredges of their allies who had been caught up traversing through the rough terrain. But as the mass of dots continued to grow in number, there came a point when they realized that there were simply far too many of them. Just like that, without any fanfare, their enemies quickly arrived, filling their line of sight.

As the numbers stood right now, this would be an easy victory for the Human Empire, as it would be essentially impossible for the Dark Territory's troops to launch an attack on these very well defended walls of Centoria, which were not only well fortified themselves, but were also packed with soldiers as well as Integrity Knights. However, from the estimates made by all the Integrity Knights, the number of Dark Territory troops far exceeded the group before their eyes right now. In other words, it was just that the bulk of their army had not yet arrived. In time, they would come, completely swarming these fields, and becoming fully capable of launching their assault on this capital city.

Suddenly, dust rose from some of the dots, and at the same time, they quickly pulled away from the rest of the army. A few eager members of the Dark Territory's army rushed forward upon seeing their target of the city of Centoria. Not bothering to stop to rest, or even to wait until the rest of their army were in range to launch an assault, they impatiently moved ahead, looking to satiate their bloodlust.

After hearing what first Kikuoka and now Kirito had said about the residents of this world, Asuna struggled with the thought of having to fight and possibly even kill these citizens of the Dark Territory. It was like being back in SAO, where every single action she made could have a very real impact on a person's life. At this point, every single living being in the Underworld was essentially the same as a real human, even if they did not technically have real bodies, and Asuna was hesitant to harm anyone. If this whole war could be avoided and cleared up without any bloodshed, that would be the ideal situation. She was sure that Kirito had also thought about this, but had realized that the other side would never be willing to come to that kind of agreement.

Asuna also had to think about the fact that if she did not fight against the Dark Territory, then she would essentially be forcing those of the Human Empire to fend solely for themselves. She, one of the people who would not perish even if she lost her life here, was thinking of becoming a pacifist, and standing outside of the lines of fire. How could she live with herself if that were the choice that she was to make? Kirito had most definitely gone through similar trains of thoughts, and had come to the conclusion to fight on, despite the fact that he would need to take the lives of others to protect the lives of those he cared about.

Fortunately for Asuna, it seemed that her time to make the decision to take another life could wait until another time. With the meager forces rushing forward without any thought, there would be absolutely no chance of any breach or endangerment to the lives of the residents of the city. Calmly, she watched as soldiers steadied their bows, before they all released their arrows to rain down on their enemies below. Before long, the rush of bodies moving closer to the wall had stopped, and the only sounds that could be heard were cries of pain and suffering of those who had not been instantly put to death, as well as the hurried footsteps of the uninjured quickly retreating outside the defendable range of the walls.

While watching their comrades be shot to death, the rest of the Dark Territory's army managed to contain themselves, beginning to set up camp quite far from the city walls. Though technically out of range of the walls, they were not free from the rage, nor the range, of the Integrity Knights and their dragons. Asuna had doubts that this was a miscalculation on the part of the Dark Territory's commanders, but rather a bait to see if some hot-headed Integrity Knights would come forth and launch an unprovoked assault.

Though Asuna recognized that none of the Integrity Knights were this foolish, she had already come to understand that there were those in the meeting room whose temperaments roared like the stormy seas. She would expect, however, that Bercouli would be keeping an eye out for these individuals, making sure that they did not embark on a suicide mission just so that they could enact some sort of vengeance on the foes who had come to lay waste to their homeland.

"There's even more of them arriving…"

Asuna's thoughts were interrupted by the groans of a soldier who was standing some distance away, peering far into the distance. She turned towards where his gaze was set, seeing that more black dots were arriving in the distance. However, unlike the first group which arrived, these spots in the distance were kicking up a very large amount of dust. These soldiers were not approaching at a leisurely pace, nor even a brisk one. It was more like they were running for their lives, using every last bit of strength that they had.

And this one detail had Asuna thinking: what reason did the Dark Territory have to run with such speed after finally seeing their final target? They would know that it would be so unwise to launch an attack without being thoroughly prepared first. It was the exact reason that they waited until the Great Eastern Gate collapsed on its own before launching their attack. They simply knew it was far too difficult to assault the Human Empire while their guards and defences were fully poised. In much the same way, the walls of Centoria themselves should have served as a good enough deterrent that the majority would not throw their lives away without first considering the possibility of victory.

It was obvious that the first group which had attempted to rush the walls were anomalies, only posing a greater risk and liability to their own allies as they were clouded by their thirst for blood. After all, it was only a small bunch which had thrown away any regard for their lives and come forth to assault the walls. This second group which was still in the distance, Asuna was sure, solely based on the amount of dust she could see rising into the sky, was far larger. Instead of being a rogue few, it was more like an entire unit had decided that it was already time to begin their assault. That was, of course, if the ones who were running were even their enemies.

Nothing about the scene in front of her eyes made any sense. That was, until Asuna saw the shapes running in the distance as something more than just black dots. She could finally see clothing, armour, weapons, physiques. Every single one of these shapes were humanoid, not demi-humanoid like most of the tribes of the Dark Territory. They were dressed not in full metal gear, as the Dark Knights were, nor were they clothed in the robes that the Dark Arts Users wore, nor were they dressed extremely lightly like the Pugilist Guild. She already had an idea of what their enemies would look like since Kikuoka had given her a quick rundown before she stepped into the STL. And in the end, no matter how she thought about it, there was only one possibility left: the ones running towards the wall weren't even part of the Dark Territory's army, but rather they were survivors from the Human Empire who were desperate to break through so that they could reach the safety of Centoria.

As the situation stood right now, it would be basically impossible for them to make it through. Being sandwiched by their enemies from the front and the back, along with the fact that they were probably completely exhausted from running away from their pursuers, Asuna suspected that many of the soldiers were running on adrenaline alone, with absolutely nothing left in the tank. Without any help, they would all lose their lives, so very close to their final destination; their eyes would be mesmerized by the sight of the walls which would have given them protection, as they were slowly hacked to death.

Asuna looked at the soldiers around her who were on the roof. By now, they seemed to have noticed that their initial judgement of these "reinforcements" was completely wrong, now realizing that it was their comrades and maybe even personal friends. But they all stood stock still, none budging a single muscle. The tension, the despair – all kinds of emotions plastered all over their faces, yet none of them could take the first step to move. Even some of the Integrity Knights, who Asuna would have expected to have jumped into action already, stood frozen as well. Though they gripped their weapons in anger, to the point where their knuckles were turning white, they stood fixed as if they were statues themselves.

Perhaps they were all just unwilling to risk their lives for a mission which did not even have a good chance of succeeding. Perhaps they wanted to protect their lives, which would increase the chances of their eventual victory. Perhaps they were now afraid of the Dark Territory's army, which had managed to push them to the cliff edge. Everyone at the meeting knew that one false step could mean that the entire history and legacy of the Human Empire would be destroyed forever.

But Asuna knew that there was one person who would not care for the statistical probability of success, he was someone who would help anyone in need. Even if it meant risking his life, he would do whatever he could so that he could try and save everyone. If there was one person who would be willing to go down there and help, it would be _him_. Asuna knew that the two of them together, just like they had been in the latter stages of SAO, could accomplish anything. Turning to her right, where she knew Kirito stood, Asuna was ready to spring into action with him.

However, when she turned around, she couldn't see Kirito. All she saw was a thin strip of black cloth, heading towards the front of the wall. Fluttering in the wind, her eyes snapped to follow whatever the cloth was attached to: a figure plummeting down the wall. As usual, Kirito was already two steps ahead of her, not even thinking twice about giving his life to rescue those who were in danger. Once again, he completely neglected to think about his own safety, jumping forward to do what he felt was the right thing.

And that was exactly what she loved about him.

* * *

 **A/N**

Originally, I was thinking that since I'd be cooped up at home, I would probably have more time to write and the chapters would come out even faster than they normally would. But then I also forgot that video games are a thing. Long story short, I bought Civ V for 10 USD. That was about a month and a half ago, which was when I was planning to post this chapter. So as you can clearly see, this 7 (well technically 10) year old game has absolutely consumed me, and still continues to do so. But as the blue sky above China is once again visible, and the rivers running through India are once again drinkable, I hope you're all staying safe at home (or wherever you're stuck).

See you all next time.

* * *

 **E/N**

It's funny because I always harp on biri24 to hurry up with his writing because I know him well and know that even though he's a diligent man who maintains his insane work schedule even when he's working from home, I also know that he is most likely playing Civ or watching people on YouTube play Civ. Anyways, I spent like 4 weeks shitting on him for not finishing his writing and then once I got the chapter to edit, it was like immediate role reversal. Basically, biri24 and I are the same kind of trash people who don't keep promises about our deadlines.

I hope everyone is staying safe at home and you all enjoy this long-awaited chapter.


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